fornia 
nal 

ty 


*,          -ffz? 


0, 


) 


^cA-^cw 


BATHURST   SUCCEEDED    IN    CARRYING   HIM   OFF. 
Xujub  the  Juggler. 


y 

Rujub,  the  Juggler 


GEORGE   A.  HENTY 

"The  Boy  Knight,"  "Bonnie  Prince  Charlie,"  "By  England. 
Aid,"  "  By  Pike  and  Dike,"  "  By  Right  of  Conquest," 
"  In  the  Reign  of  Terror,"  Etc. 


ILLUSTRATED 


CHICAGO: 

M.  A.  DONOHUE  &  COMPANT 


Stack 
Annex 


PUBLISHERS'   INTRODUCTION. 

"RuJUB,  THE  JUGGLER,"  is  mainly  an  historical  tale 
for  young  and  old,  dealing  with  the  Sepoy  Mutiny,  in 
India,  during  the  years  1857  to  1859. 

This  famous  mutiny  occurred  while  the  reins  of  British 
rule  in  India  were  in  the  hands  of  Lord  Canning. 
Chupattees  (cakes  of  flour  and  water)  were  circulated 
among  the  natives,  placards  protesting  against  British 
rule  were  posted  at  Delhi,  and  when  the  Enfield  rifle 
with  its  greased  cartridges  was  introduced  among  the 
Sepoy  soldiers  serving  the  Queen  it  was  rumored  that 
the  cartridges  were  smeared  with  the  forbidden  pig's  fat, 
so  that  the  power  of  the  Sepoys  might  forever  be 
destroyed. 

Fanatical  to  the  last  degree,  the  Sepoys  were  not  long 
in  bringing  the  mutiny  to  a  head.  The  first  outbreak 
occurred  at  Meerut,  where  were  stationed  about  two 
thousand  English  soldiers  and  three  thousand  native 
troops.  The  native  troops  refused  to  use  the  cartridges 
supplied  to  them  and  eighty-two  were  placed  under 
arrest.  On  the  day  following  the  native  troops  rebelled 
in  a  body,  broke  open  the  guardhouse  and  released  the 
prisoners,  and  a  severe  battle  followed,  and  Meerut  was 
given  over  to  the  flames.  The  mutineers  then  marched 
upon  Delhi,  thirty-two  miles  away,  and  took  possession. 
At  Bithoor  the  Rajah  had  always  professed  a  strong 
friendship  for  the  English,  but  he  secretly  plotted  against 
them,  and,  later  on,  General  Wheeler  was  compelled  to 
surrender  to  the  Rajah  at  Cawnpore,  and  did  so  with 
the  understanding  that  the  lives  of  all  in  the  place 
should  be  spared.  Shortly  after  the  surrender  the 
English  officers  and  soldiers  were  shot  down,  and  all  of 
the  women  and  children  butchered. 

The  mutiny  was  now  at  its  height,  and  for  a  while  it 
was  feared  that  British  rule  in  India  must  cease.  The 
Europeans  at  Lucknow  were  besieged  for  about  three 


IV  PUBLISHERS'  INTRODUVTI08. 

months  and  were  on  the  point  of  giving  up,  when  thej 
were  relieved  through  the  heroic  march  of  General  Have- 
lock.  Sir  Colin  Campbell  followed,  and  soon  the  city  waa 
once  more  in  the  complete  possession  of  the  British. 
Oude  was  speedily  reduced  to  submission,  many  of  the 
rebel  leaders  were  either  shot  or  hanged,  and  gradually 
the  mutiny,  which  had  cost  the  lives  of  thousands,  was 
brought  to  an  end. 

The  tale,  however,  is  not  all  of  war.  In  its  pages  are 
given  many  true-to-life  pictures  of  life  in  India,  in  the 
barracks  of  the  soldiers  and  elsewhere.  A  most  im- 
portant part  is  played  by  Rujub,  the  juggler,  who  is  a 
warm  friend  to  the  hero  of  the  narrative.  Kujub  is  no 
common  conjuror,  but  one  of  the  higher  men  of  mystery, 
who  perform  partly  as  a  religious  duty  and  who  accept 
no  pay  for  such  performances.  The  acts  of  these  persons 
are  but  little  understood,  even  at  this  late  day,  and  it  is 
possible  that  many  of  their  arts  will  sooner  or  later  be 
utterly  lost  to  the  world  at  large.  That  they  can  do  some 
wonderful  things  in  juggling,  mind-reading,  and  in 
second  sight,  is  testified  to  by  thousands  of  people  who 
have  witnessed  their  performances  in  India;  how  they 
do  these  things  has  never  yet  been  explained. 

Strange  as  it  may  seem,  the  hero  of  the  tale  is  a 
natural-born  coward,  who  cannot  stand  the  noise  of  gun- 
fire. He  realizes  his  shortcomings,  and  they  are  fre- 
quently brought  home  to  him  through  the  taunts  of  his 
fellow  soldiers.  A  doctor  proves  that  the  dread  of  noise 
is  hereditary,  but  this  only  adds  to  the  young  soldier's 
misery.  To  make  himself  brave  he  rushes  to  the  front 
in  a  most  desperate  fight,  and  engages  in  scout  work 
which  means  almost  certain  death.  In  the  end  he  masters 
his  fear,  and  gives  a  practical  lesson  of  what  stern  and 
unbending  will-power  can  accomplish. 

•In  many  respects  "Eujub,  the  Juggler,"  will  be  found 
one  of  the  strongest  of  Mr.  Henty's  works,  and  this  is 
saying  much  when  one  considers  all  of  the  many  stories 
this  well-known  author  has  already  penned  for  the  en- 
tertainment of  young  and  old.  As  a  picture  of  life  in  the 
English  Army  in  India  it  is  unexcelled. 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 


CHAPTER  I. 

IT  would  be  difficult  to  find  a  fairer  scene.  Through- 
out the  gardens  lanterns  of  many  shapes  and  devices 
threw  their  light  down  upon  the  paths,  which  were  marked 
out  by  lines  of  little  lamps  suspended  on  wires  a  foot 
above  the  ground.  In  a  treble  row  they  encircled  a  large 
tank  or  pond  and  studded  a  little  island  in  its  center. 
Along  the  terraces  were  festoons  and  arches  of  innumer- 
able lamps,  while  behind  was  the  Palace  or  Castle,  for  it 
was  called  either;  the  Oriental  doors  and  windows  and  the 
tracery  of  its  walls  lit  up  below  by  the  soft  light,  while 
the  outline  of  the  upper  part  could  scarce  be  made  out. 
Eastern  as  the  scene  was,  the  actors  were  for  the  most 
part  English.  Although  the  crowd  that  promenaded  the 
terrace  was  composed  principally  of  men,  of  whom  the 
majority  were  in  uniform  of  one  sort  or  another,  the  rest 
in  evening  dress,  there  were  many  ladies  among  them. 

At  the  end  of  one  of  the  terraces  a  band  of  the  103d 
Bengal  Infantry  was  playing,  and  when  they  ceased  a 
band  of  native  musicians,  at  the  opposite  end  of  the  ter- 
race, took  up  the  strains.  Within,  the  palace  was  bril- 
liantly lighted,  and  at  the  tables  in  one  of  the  large 
apartments  a  few  couples  were  still  seated  at  supper. 
Among  his  guests  moved  the  Bajah,  chatting  in  fluent 
English,  laughing  with  the  men,  paying  compliments  to 
the  ladies,  a  thoroughly  good  fellow  all  round,  as  his 
guests  agreed.  The  affair  had  been  a  great  success. 
There  had  first  been  a  banquet  to  the  officers  and  civilians 
at  the  neighboring  station.  When  this  was  over,  the 
ladies  began  to  arrive,  and  for  their  amusement  there  had 
been  a  native  nautch  upon  a  grand  scale,  followed  by  a 


2  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

fine  display  of  fireworks,  and  then  by  supper,  at  which  the 
Rajah  had  made  a  speech  expressive  of  his  deep  admira- 
tion and  affection  for  the  British.  This  he  had  followed 
up  by  proposing  the  health  of  the  ladies  in  flowery  terms. 

Never  was  there  a  better  fellow  than  the  Rajah.  He 
had  English  tastes,  and  often  dined  at  one  or  other  of  the 
officers'  messes.  He  was  a  good  shot,  and  could  fairly 
hold  his  own  at  billiards.  He  had  first-rate  English 
horses  in  his  stables,  and  his  turnout  was  perfect  in  all 
respects.  He  kept  a  few  horses  for  the  races,  and  was 
present  at  every  ball  and  entertainment.  At  Bithoor  he 
kept  almost  open  house.  There  was  a  billiard-room  and 
racquet-courts,  and  once  or  twice  a  week  there  were 
luncheon  parties,  at  which  from  twelve  to  twenty  officers 
were  generally  present.  In  all  India  there  was  no  Rajah 
with  more  pronounced  English  tastes  or  greater  affection 
for  English  people.  The  one  regret  of  his  life,  he  often 
declared,  was  that  his  color  and  his  religion  prevented 
his  entertaining  the  hope  of  obtaining  an  English  wife. 
All  this,  as  everyone  said,  was  the  more  remarkable  and 
praiseworthy,  inasmuch  as  he  had  good  grounds  of  com- 
plaint against  the  British  Government. 

With  the  ladies  he  was  an  especial  favorite;  he  was 
always  ready  to  show  them  courtesy.  His  carriages  were 
at  their  service.  He  was  ready  to  give  his  aid  and  assist- 
ance to  every  gathering.  His  private  band  played  fre- 
quently on  the  promenade,  and  handsome  presents  of 
shawls  and  jewelry  were  often  made  to  those  whom  he 
held  in  highest  favor.  At  present  he  was  talking  to 
General  Wheeler  and  some  other  officers. 

"  I  warn  you  that  I  mean  to  win  the  cup  at  the  races," 
he  said;  "  I  have  just  bought  the  horse  that  swept  the 
board  on  the  Bombay  side;  I  have  set  my  heart  on  winning 
the  cup,  and  so  secured  this  horse.  I  am  ready  to  back 
it  if  any  of  you  gentlemen  are  disposed  to  wager  against 
it." 

"  All  in  good  time,  Rajah,"  one  of  the  officers  laughed; 
"  we  don't  know  what  will  be  entered  against  it  yet,  and 
we  must  wait  to  see  what  the  betting  is,  but  I  doubt 
whether  we  have  anything  that  will  beat  the  Bombay 
crack  on  this  side;  I  fancy  you  will  have  to  lay  odds  on." 


RUJUB,   TEE  JUGGLER.  3 

"We  shall  see,"  the  Eajah  said;  "I  have  always  been 
unlucky,  but  I  mean  to  win  this  time." 

"I  don't  think  you  take  your  losses  much  to  heart. 
Rajah,"  General  Wheeler  said;  "yet  there  is  no  doubt  that 
your  bets  are  generally  somewhat  rash  ones." 

"  I  mean  to  make  a  coup  this  time.  That  is  your  word 
for  a  big  thing,  I  think.  The  Government  has  treated  me 
so  badly  I  must  try  to  take  something  out  of  the  pockets 
of  its  officers." 

"  You  do  pretty  well  still,"  the  General  laughed;  "  after 
this  splendid  entertainment  you  have  given  us  this  even- 
ing you  can  hardly  call  yourself  a  poor  man." 

"I  know  I  am  rich.  I  have  enough  for  my  little 
pleasures — I  do  not  know  that  I  could  wish  for  more — 
still  no  one  is  ever  quite  content." 

By  this  time  the  party  was  breaking  up,  and  for  the 
next  half-hour  the  Eajah  was  occupied  in  bidding  good-by 
to  his  guests.  When  the  last  had  gone  he  turned  and 
entered  the  palace,  passed  through  the  great  halls,  and, 
pushing  aside  a  curtain,  entered  a  small  room.  The  walls 
and  the  columns  were  of  white  marble,  inlaid  with  ara- 
besque work  of  colored  stones.  Four  golden  lamps  hung 
from  the  ceiling,  the  floor  was  covered  with  costly  carpets, 
and  at  one  end  ran  a  raised  platform  a  foot  in  height, 
piled  with  soft  cushions.  He  took  a  turn  or  two  up  and 
down  the  room,  and  then  struck  a  silver  bell.  An  attend- 
ant entered.  "  Send  Khoosheal  and  Imambux  here." 
Two  minutes  later  the  men  entered.  Imambux  com- 
manded the  Rajah's  troops,  while  Khoosheal  was  the  mas- 
ter of  his  household. 

"  All  has  gone  off  well,"  the  Rajah  said;  "  I  am  pleased 
with  you,  Khoosheal.  One  more  at  most,  and  we  shall 
have  done  with  them.  Little  do  they  think  what  their 
good  friend  ~Na.na,  Sahib  is  preparing  for  them.  What  a 
poor-spirited  creature  they  think  me  to  kiss  the  hand 
that  robbed  me,  to  be  friends  with  those  who  have  de- 
prived me  of  my  rights!  But  the  day  of  reckoning  is  not 
far  off,  and  then  woe  to  them  all!  Have  any  of  your 
messengers  returned,  Imambux?  " 

"  Several  have  come  in  this  evening,  my  lord;  would 
you  see  them  now,  or  wait  till  morning?  " 


4  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

"  I  will  see  them  now;  I  will  get  the  memory  of  these 
chattering  men  and  these  women  with  their  hare  shoul- 
ders out  of  my  mind.  Send  the  men  in  one  hy  one.  I 
have  no  further  occasion  for  you  to-night;  two  are  better 
than  three  when  men  talk  of  matters  upon  which  an 
empire  depends." 

The  two  officers  bowed  and  retired,  and  shortly  after- 
wards the  attendant  drew  back  the  curtain  again,  and  a 
native,  in  the  rags  of  a  mendicant,  entered,  and  bowed  till 
his  forehead  touched  the  carpet.  Then  he  remained 
kneeling,  with  his  arms  crossed  over  his  chest,  and  his 
head  inclined  in  the  attitude  of  the  deepest  humility. 

"  Where  have  you  been?  "  the  Rajah  asked. 

"  My  lord's  si  are  has  been  for  three  weeks  at  Meerut. 
I  have  obeyed  orders.  I  have  distributed  chupaties 
among  the  native  regiments,  with  the  words,  *  Watch,  the 
time  is  coming/  and  have  then  gone  before  I  could  be 
questioned.  Then,  in  another  disguise,  I  have  gone 
through  the  bazaar,  and  said  in  talk  with  many  that  the 
Sepoys  were  unclean  and  outcast,  for  that  they  had  bitten 
cartridges  anointed  with  pig's  fat,  and  that  the  Govern- 
ment had  purposely  greased  the  cartridges  with  this 
fat  in  order  that  the  caste  of  all  the  Sepoys  should  be 
destroyed.  When  I  had  set  men  talking  about  this  I 
left;  it  will  be  sure  to  come  to  the  Sepoys'  ears." 

The  Rajah  nodded.  "  Come  again  to-morrow  at  noon; 
you  will  have  your  reward  then  and  further  orders;  but 
see  that  you  keep  silence;  a  single  word,  and  though  you 
hid  in  the  farthest  corner  of  India  you  would  not  escape 
my  vengeance." 

Man  after  man  entered.  Some  of  them,  like  the  first, 
were  in  mendicant's  attire,  one  or  two  were  fakirs,  one 
looked  like  a  well-to-do  merchant.  With  the  exception 
of  the  last,  all  had  a  similar  tale  to  tell;  they  had  been 
visiting  the  various  cantonments  of  the  native  army, 
everywhere  distributing  chupaties  and  whispering  tales  of 
the  intention  of  the  Government  to  destroy  the  caste  of 
the  Sepoys  by  greasing  the  cartridges  with  pig's  fat.  The 
man  dressed  like  a  trader  was  the  last  to  enter. 

"  How  goes  it,  Mukdoomee?  " 

"  It  is  well,  my  lord;  I  have  traversed  all  the  districts 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  5 

where  we  dwelt  of  old,  before  the  Feringhee  stamped  us 
out  and  sent  scores  to  death  and  hundreds  to  prison. 
Most  of  the  latter  whom  death  has  spared  are  free  now, 
and  with  many  of  them  have  I  talked.  They  are  most  of 
them  old,  and  few  would  take  the  road  again,  but  scarce 
one  but  has  trained  up  his  son  or  grandson  to  the  work; 
not  to  practice  it, — the  hand  of  the  whites  was  too  heavy 
before,  and  the  gains  are  not  large  enough  to  tempt  men 
to  run  the  risk, — but  they  teach  them  for  the  love  of  the 
art.  To  a  worshiper  of  the  goddess  there  is  a  joy,  in  a 
cleverly  contrived  plan  and  in  casting  Mie  roomal  round 
the  neck  of  the  victim,  that  can  never  die.  Often  in  my 
young  days,  when  perhaps  twelve  of  us  were  on  the  road 
in  a  party,  we  made  less  than  we  could  have  done  by  labor, 
but  none  minded. 

"  We  were  sworn  brothers;  we  were  working  for  Kali, 
and  so  that  we  sent  her  victims  we  cared  little;  and  even 
after  fifteen  or  twenty  years  spent  in  the  Feringhee's 
prisons,  we  love  it  still;  none  hate  the  white  man  as  we 
do;  has  he  not  destroyed  our  profession?  We  have  two 
things  to  work  for;  first,  for  vengeance;  second,  for  the 
certainty  that  if  the  white  man's  Raj  were  at  an  end,  once 
again  would  the  brotherhood  follow  their  profession,  and 
reap  booty  for  ourselves  and  victims  for  Kali;  for,  as- 
suredly, no  native  prince  would  dare  to  meddle  with  us. 
Therefore,  upon  every  man  who  was  once  a  Thug,  and 
upon  his  sons  and  grandsons,  you  may  depend.  I  do  not 
say  that  they  would  be  useful  for  fighting,  for  we  have 
never  been  fighters,  but  the  stranglers  will  be  of  use. 
You  can  trust  them  with  missions,  and  send  them  where 
you  choose.  From  their  fathers'  lips  they  have  learnt  all 
about  places  and  roads;  they  can  decoy  Feringhee  travel- 
ers, the  Company's  servants  or  soldiers,  into  quiet  places, 
and  slay  them.  They  can  creep  into  compounds  and  into 
houses,  and  choose  their  victims  from  the  sleepers.  You 
can  trust  them,  Rajah,  for  they  have  learned  to  hate,  and 
each  in  his  way  will,  when  the  times  comes,  aid  to  stir  up 
men  to  rise.  The  past  had  almost  become  a  dream,  but 
I  have  roused  it  into  life  again,  and  upon  the  descendants 
of  the  stranglers  throughout  India  you  can  count  surely." 

"You  have  not  mentioned  my  name?"  the  Rajah  said 


0  RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER. 

suddenly,  looking  closely  at  the  man  as  he  put  the 
question. 

"  Assuredly  not,  your  highness;  I  have  simply  said 
deliverance  is  at  hand;  the  hour  foretold  for  the  end  of 
the  Raj  of  the  men  from  beyond  the  sea  will  soon  strike, 
and  they  will  disappear  from  the  land  like  fallen  leaves; 
then  will  the  glory  of  Kali  return,  then  again  will  the 
brotherhood  take  to  the  road  and  gather  in  victims.  I 
can  promise  that  every  one  of  those  whose  fathers  or 
grandfathers  or  other  kin  died  by  the  hand  of  the 
Feringhee,  or  suffered^in  his  prisons,  will  do  his  share  of 
the  good  work,  and  be  ready  to  obey  to  the  death  the 
orders  which  will  reach  him." 

"  It  is  good,"  the  Rajah  said;  "  you  and  your  brethren 
will  have  a  rich  harvest  of  victims,  and  the  sacred  cord 
need  never  be  idle.  Go;  it  is  well-nigh  morning,  and  I 
would  sleep." 

But  not  for  some  time  did  the  Rajah  close  his  eyes;  his 
brain  was  busy  with  the  schemes  which  he  had  long  been 
maturing,  but  was  only  now  beginning  to  put  into 
action. 

"  It  must  succeed,"  he  said  to  himself;  "  all  through 
India  the  people  will  take  up  arms  when  the  Sepoys  give 
the  signal  by  rising  against  their  officers.  The  whites 
are  wholly  unsuspicious;  they  even  believe  that  I,  I  whom 
they  have  robbed,  am  their  friend.  Fools!  I  hold  them  in 
the  hollow  of  my  hand;  they  shall  trust  me  to  the  last, 
and  then  I  will  crush  them.  Not  one  shall  escape  me. 
Would  I  were  as  certain  of  all  the  other  stations  in  India 
as  I  am  of  this.  Oude,  I  know,  will  rise  as  one  man;  the 
Princes  of  Delhi  I  have  sounded;  they  will  be  the  leaders, 
though  the  old  King  will  be  the  nominal  head;  but  I  shall 
pull  the  strings,  and  as  Peishwa,  shall  be  an  independent 
sovereign,  and  next  in  dignity  to  the  Emperor.  Only 
nothing  must  be  done  until  all  is  ready;  not  a  movement 
must  be  made  until  I  feel  sure  that  every  native  regiment 
from  Calcutta  to  the  North  is  ready  to  rise." 

And  so,  until  the  day  had  fully  broken,  the  Rajah  of 
Bithoor  thought  over  his  plans — the  man  who  had  a  few 
hours  before  so  sumptuously  entertained  the  military  and 
civilians  of  Cawnpore,  and  the  man  who  was  universally 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER.  7 

regarded  as  the  firm  friend  of  the  British  and  one  of  the 
best  fellows  going. 

The  days  and  weeks  passed  on,  messengers  came  and 
went,  the  storm  was  slowing  brewing;  and  yet  to  all  men. 
it  seemed  that  India  was  never  more  contented  nor  the 
outlook  more  tranquil  and  assured. 


CHAPTER  II. 

A  YOUNG  man  in  a  suit  of  brown  karkee,  with  a  white 
puggaree  wound  round  his  pith  helmet,  was  just  mount- 
ing in  front  of  his  bungalow  at  Deennugghur,  some  forty 
miles  from  Cawnpore,  when  two  others  came  up. 

"  Which  way  are  you  going  to  ride,  Bathurst?  " 

"  I  am  going  out  to  Narkeet;  there  is  a  dispute  between 
the  villagers  and  a  Talookdar  as  to  their  limits.  I  have 
got  to  look  into  the  case.  Why  do  you  ask,  Mr.  Hunter?  " 

"  I  thought  that  you  might  be  going  that  way.  You 
know  we  have  had  several  reports  of  ravages  by  a  man- 
eater  whose  headquarters  seem  to  be  that  big  jungle  you 
pass  through  on  your  way  to  Narkeet.  He  has  been 
paying  visits  to  several  villages  in  its  neighborhood,  and 
has  carried  off  two  mail-runners.  I  should  advise  you 
to  keep  a  sharp  lookout." 

"  Yes,  I  have  heard  plenty  about  him;  it  is  unfortunate 
we  have  no  one  at  this  station  who  goes  in  for  tiger- 
hunting.  Young  Bloxam  was  speaking  to  me  last  night; 
he  is  very  hot  about  it;  but  as  he  knows  nothing  about 
shooting,  and  has  never  fired  off  a  rifle  in  his  life,  except 
at  the  military  target,  I  told  him  that  it  was  madness  to 
think  of  it  by  himself,  and  that  he  had  better  ride  down 
to  the  regiment  at  Cawnpore,  and  get  them  to  form  a 
party  to  come  up  to  hunt  the  beast.  I  told  him  they  need 
not  bring  elephants  with  them;  I  could  get  as  many  as 
were  necessary  from  some  of  the  Talookdars,  and  there 
will  be  no  want  of  beaters.  He  said  he  would  write  at 
once,  but  he  doubted  whether  any  of  them  would  be  able 
to  get  away  at  present;  the  general  inspection  is  just  com- 
ing on.  However,  no  doubt  they  will  be  able  to  do  so 
before  long." 


<3  RUJUB,   TE-E  JUGQLKR. 

"  Well,  if  I  were  you  I  would  put  a  pair  of  pistols  into 
my -holster,  Batlmrst;  it  would  be  awfully  awkward  if  you 
came  across  the  beast." 

"  I  never  carry  firearms,"  the  young  man  said  shortly; 
and  then  more  lightly,  "  I  am  a  peaceful  man  by  pro- 
fession, as  you  are,  Mr.  Hunter,  and  I  leave  firearms  to 
those  whose  profession  it  is  to  use  them.  I  have  hitherto 
never  met  with  an  occasion  when  I  needed  them,  and  am 
not  likely  to  do  so.  I  always  carry  this  heavy  hunting- 
whip,  which  I  find  useful  sometimes,  when  the  village 
dogs  rush  out  and  pretend  that  they  are  going  to  attack 
me;  and  I  fancy  that  even  an  Oude  swordsman  would 
think  twice  before  attacking  me  when  I  had  it  in  my 
hand.  But,  of  course,  there  is  no  fear  about  the  tiger.  I 
generally  ride  pretty  fast;  and  even  if  he  were  lying  by 
the  roadside  waiting  for  a  meal,  I  don't  think  he  would  be 
likely  to  interfere  with  me."  So  saying,  he  lightly 
touched  the  horse's  flanks  with  his  spurs  and  cantered 
off. 

"  He's  a  fine  young  fellow,  Garnet,"  Mr.  Hunter  said  to 
his  companion;  "  full  of  energy,  and,  they  say,  the  very 
best  linguist  in  Oude." 

"Yes,  he  is  all  that,"  the  other  agreed;  "but  he  is  a 
sort  of  fellow  one  does  not  quite  understand.  I  like  a 
man  who  is  like  other  fellows;  Bathurst  isn't.  He  doesn't 
shoot,  he  doesn't  ride — I  mean  he  don't  care  for  pig-stick- 
ing; he  never  goes  in  for  any  fun  there  may  be  on  hand; 
he  just  works — nothing  else;  he  does  not  seem  to  mix 
with  other  people;  he  is  the  sort  of  fellow  one  would  say 
had  got  some  sort  of  secret  connected  with  him." 

"  If  he  has,  I  am  certain  it  is  nothing  to  his  personal 
disadvantage,"  Mr.  Hunter  said  warmly.  "  I  have  known 
him  for  the  last  six  years — I  won't  say  very  well,  for  I 
don't  think  anyone  does  that,  except,  perhaps,  Doctor 
Wade.  When  there  was  a  wing  of  the  regiment  up  here 
three  years  ago  he  and  Bathurst  took  to  each  other  very 
much — perhaps  because  they  were  both  different  from 
other  people.  But,  anyhow,  from  what  I  know  of 
Bathurst  I  believe  him  to  be  a  very  fine  character,  though 
there  is  certainly  an  amount  of  reserve  about  him  alto- 
gether unusual.  At  any  rate,  the  service  is  a  gainer  by 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER.  0 

it.  I  never  knew  a  fellow  work  so  indefatigably.  He 
will  take  a  very  high  place  in  the  service  before  he  has 
done." 

"  I  am  not  so  sure  of  that,"  the  other  said.  "  He  is  a 
man  with  opinions  of  his  own,  and  all  sorts  of  crotchets 
and  fads.  He  has  been  in  hot  water  with  the  Chief 
Commissioner  more  than  once.  When  I  was  over  at 
Lucknow  last  I  was  chatting  with  two  or  three  men,  and 
his  name  happened  to  crop  up,  and  one  of  them  said, 
*  Bathurst  is  a  sort  of  knight-errant,  an  official  Don 
Quixote.  Perhaps  the  best  officer  in  the  province  in  some 
respects,  but  hopelessly  impracticable.'* 

"  Yes,  that  I  can  quite  understand,  Garnet.  That  sort 
of  man  is  never  popular  with  the  higher  official,  whose 
likings  go  to  the  man  who  does  neither  too  much  nor  too 
little,  who  does  his  work  without  questioning,  and  never 
thinks  of  making  suggestions,  and  is  a  mere  official 
machine.  Men  of  Bathurst's  type,  who  go  to  the  bottom 
of  things,  protest  against  what  they  consider  unfair 
decisions,  and  send  in  memorandums  showing  that  their 
superiors  are  hopelessly  ignorant  and  idiotically  wrong, 
are  always  cordially  disliked.  Still,  they  generally  work 
their  way  to  the  front  in  the  long  run.  Well,  I  must  be 
off." 

Bathurst  rode  to  Narkeet  without  drawing  rein.  His 
horse  at  times  slackened  its  pace  on  its  own  accord,  but 
an  almost  mechanical  motion  from  its  rider's  heel  soon 
started  it  off  again  at  the  rapid  pace  at  which  its  rider 
ordinarily  traveled.  From  the  time  he  left  Deennugghur 
to  his  arrival  at  Narkeet  no  thought  of  the  dreaded  man- 
eater  entered  Bathurst's  mind.  He  was  deeply  medita- 
ting on  a  memorandum  he  was  about  to  draw  up, 
respecting  a  decision  that  had  been  arrived  at  in  a  case 
between  a  Talookdar  in  his  district  and  the  Government, 
and  in  which,  as  it  appeared  to  him,  a  wholly  erroneous 
and  unjust  view  had  been  taken  as  to  the  merits  of  the 
xcase;  and  he  only  roused  himself  when  the  horse  broke 
into  a  walk  as  it  entered  the  village.  Two  or  three  of 
the  head  men,  with  many  bows  and  salutations  of  respect, 
came  out  to  receive  him.  "  My  lord  sahib  has  seen  noth- 
ing of  the  tiger?"  the  head  man  said;  "our  hearts  were 


10  RUJUli,  THE  JUGGLER. 

melted  with  fear,  for  the  evil  beast  was  heard  roaring  ifl 
the  jungle  not  far  from  the  road  early  this  morning." 

"  I  never  gave  it  a  thought,  one  way  or  the  other," 
Bathurst  said,  as  he  dismounted.  "I  fancy  the  horse 
would  have  let  me  know  if  the  brute  had  been  anywhere 
near.  See  that  he  is  tied  up  in  the  shed,  and  has  food 
and  water,  and  put  a  boy  to  keep  the  flies  from  worrying 
him.  And  now  let  us  get  to  business.  First  of  all,  I 
must  go  through  the  village  records  and  documents;  after 
that  I  will  question  four  or  five  of  the  oldest  inhabitants, 
and  then  we  must  go  over  the  ground.  The  whole  ques- 
tion turns,  you  know,  upon  whether  the  irrigation  ditch 
mentioned  in  the  Talookdar's  grant  is  the  one  that  runs 
across  at  the  foot  of  the  rising  ground  on  his  side,  or 
whether  it  is  the  one  that  sweeps  round  on  this  side  of  the 
grove  with  the  little  temple  in  it.  Unfortunately  most 
of  the  best  land  lies  between  those  ditches." 

For  hours  Bathurst  listened  to  the  statements  of  the 
old  people  of  the  village,  cross-questioning  them  closely, 
and  sparing  no  efforts  to  sift  the  truth  from  their  con- 
fused and  often  contradictory  evidence.  Then  he  spent 
two  hours  going  over  the  ground  and  endeavoring  to 
satisfy  himself  which  of  the  two  ditches  was  the  one 
named  in  the  village  records.  He  had  two  days  before 
taken  equal  pains  in  sifting  the  evidence  on  the  other 
side. 

"  I  trust  that  my  lord  sees  there  can  be  no  doubt  as  to 
the  justice  of  our  claim,"  the  head  man  said  humbly,  as 
he  prepared  to  mount  again. 

"  According  to  your  point  of  view,  there  is  no  doubt 
about  it,  Childee;  but  then  there  is  equally  no  doubt  the 
other  way,  according  to  the  statements  they  put  forward. 
But  that  is  generally  the  way  in  all  these  land  disputes. 
For  good  hard  swearing  your  Hindoo  cultivator  can  be 
matched  against  the  world.  Unfortunately  there  is 
nothing  either  in  your  grant  or  in  your  neighbors' 
that  specifies  unmistakably  which  of  these  ancient  ditches 
is  the  one  referred  to.  My  present  impression  is  that  it 
is  essentially  a  case  for  a  compromise,  l>ut  you  know  the 
final  decision  does  not  rest  on  me.  I  shall  be  out  here 
again  next  week,  and  I  shall  write  to  the  Talookdar  to 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER.  11 

meet  me  here,  and  we  will  go  over  the  ground  together 
again,  and  see  if  we  cannot  arrange  some  line  that  will  be 
fair  to  both  parties.  If  we  can  do  that,  the  matter  would 
be  settled  without  expense  and  trouble;  whereas,  if  it  goes 
up  to  Lrucknow  it  may  all  have  to  be  gone  into  again;  and 
if  the  decision  is  given  against  you,  and  as  far  as  I  can  see 
it  is  just  as  likely  to  be  one  way  as  another,  it  will  be  a 
serious  thing  for  the  village." 

"We  are  in  my  lord's  hands,"  the  native  said;  "he  is 
the  protector  of  the  poor,  and  will  do  us  justice." 

"  I  will  do  you  justice,  Childee,  but  I  must  do  justice  to 
the  other  side  too.  Of  course,  neither  of  you  will  be 
satisfied,  but  that  cannot  be  helped."  His  perfect  knowl- 
edge of  their  language,  the  pains  he  took  to  sift  all 
matters  brought  before  him  to  the  bottom,  had  rendered 
the  young  officer  very  popular  among  the  natives.  They 
knew  they  could  get  justice  from  him  direct.  There  was 
no  necessity  to  bribe  underlings:  he  had  the  knack  of  ex- 
tracting the  truth  from  the  mass  of  lying  evidence  always 
forthcoming  in  native  cases;  and  even  the  defeated  party 
admired  the  manner  in  which  the  fabric  of  falsehood  was 
pulled  to  pieces.  But  the  main  reason  of  his  popularity 
was  his  sympathy,  the  real  interest  which  he  showed  in 
their  cases,  and  the  patience  with  which  he  listened  to 
their  stories. 

Bathurst  himself,  as  he  rode  homewards,  was  still 
thinking  of  the  case.  Of  course  there  had  been  lying  on 
both  sides;  but  to  that  he  was  accustomed.  It  was  a  ques- 
tion of  importance — of  greater  importance,  no  doubt,  to 
the  villagers  than  to  their  opponent,  but  still  important 
to  him — for  this  tract  of  land  was  a  valuable  one,  and  of 
considerable  extent,  and  there  was  really  nothing  in  the 
documents  produced  on  either  side  to  show  which  ditch 
was  intended  by  the  original  grants.  Evidently,  at  the 
time  they  were  made,  very  many  years  before,  one  ditch  or 
the  other  was  not  in  existence;  but  there  was  no  proof  as 
to  which  was  the  more  recent,  although  both  sides  pro- 
fessed that  all  traditions  handed  down  to  them  asserted 
the  ditch  on  their  side  to  be  the  more  recent. 

He  was  riding  along  the  road  through  the  great  jungle, 
at  his  horse's  own  pace,  which  happened  for  the  moment 


12  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

to  be  a  gentle  trot,  when  a  piercing  cry  rang  through  the 
air  a  hundred  yards  ahead.  Bathurst  started  from  his 
reverie,  and  spurred  his  horse  sharply;  the  animal  dashed 
forward  at  a  gallop.  At  a  turn  in  the  road  he  saw, 
twenty  yards  ahead  of  him,  a  tiger,  standing  with  a  foot 
upon  a  prostrate  figure,  while  a  man  in  front  of  it  was 
gesticulating  wildly.  The  tiger  stood  as  if  hesitating 
whether  to  strike  down  the  figure  in  front  or  to  content 
itself  with  that  already  in  its  power. 

The  wild  shouts  of  the  man  had  apparently  drowned 
the  sound  of  the  horse's  feet  upon  the  soft  road,  for  the 
animal  drew  hack  half  a  pace  as  it  suddenly  came  into 
view. 

The  horse  swerved  at  the  sight,  and  reared  high  in  the 
air  as  Bathurst  drove  his  spurs  into  it.  As  its  feet 
touched  the  ground  again,  Bathurst  sprang  off  and  rushed 
at  the  tiger,  and  brought  down  the  heavy  lash  of  his 
whip  with  all  his  force  --.cross  its  head.  With  a  fierce 
snarl  it  sprang  back  two  paces,  but  again  and  again  the 
whip  descended  upon  it,  and  bewildered  and  amazed  at 
the  attack  it  turned  swiftly  and  sprang  through  the 
bushes. 

Bathurst,  knowing  that  there  was  no  fear  of  its  return- 
ing, turned  at  once  to  the  figure  on  the  road.  It  was,  as  in 
even  the  momentary  glance  he  had  noticed,  a  woman,  or 
rather  a  girl  of  some  fourteen  or  fifteen  years  of  age — the 
man  had  dropped  on  his  knees  beside  her,  moaning  and 
uttering  incoherent  words. 

"  I  see  no  blood,"  Bathurst  said,  and  stooping,  lifted  the 
light  figure.  "Her  heart  beats,  man;  I  think  she  has 
only  fainted.  The  tiger  must  have  knocked  her  down 
in  its  spring  without  striking  her.  So  far  as  I  can  see  she 
is  unhurt."  He  carried  her  to  the  horse,  which  stood 
trembling  a  few  yards  away,  took  a  flask  from  the  holster, 
and  poured  a  little  brandy  and  water  between  her  lips. 

Presently  there  was  a  faint  sigh.  "  She  is  coming 
round,"  he  said  to  the  man,  who  was  still  kneeling,  look- 
ing on  with  vacant  eyes,  as  though  he  had  neither  heard 
nor  comprehended  what  Bathurst  was  doing.  Presently 
the  girl  moved  slightly  and  opened  her  eyes.  At  first 
there  was  no  expression  in  them;  then  a  vague  wonder 


BATHURST   BROUGHT   DOWN   THE  HEAVY  LASH   OF   HIS   WHIP   WITH  ALL 

Hir  FORCE. — Page  12. 
jvA,  the  Juggle) . 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  13 

stole  into  them  at  the  white  face  looking  down  upon  her. 
She  closed  them  again,  and  then  reopened  them,  and 
then  there  was  a  slight  struggle  to  free  herself.  He 
allowed  her  to  slip  through  his  arms  until  her  feet 
touched  the  ground;  then  her  eyes  fell  on  the  kneeling 
figure^ 

"  Father!  "  she  exclaimed.  With  a  cry  the  man  leaped 
to  his  feet,  sprang  to  her  and  seized  her  in  his  arms,  and 
poured  out  words  of  endearment.  Then  suddenly  he  re- 
leased her  and  threw  himself  on  the  ground  before 
Bathurst,  with  ejaculations  of  gratitude  and  thankful- 
ness. "  Get  up,  man,  get  up,"  the  latter  said;  "  your 
daughter  can  scarce  stand  alone,  and  the  sooner  we  get 
away  from  this  place  the  better;  that  savage  beast  is  not 
likely  to  return,  but  he  may  do  so;  let  us  be  off."  He 
mounted  his  horse  again,  brought  it  up  to  the  side  of  the 
girl,  and  then,  leaning  over,  took  her  and  swung  her  into 
the  saddle  in  front  of  him.  The  man  took  up  a  large  box 
that  was  lying  in  the  road  and  hoisted  it  onto  his 
shoulders,  and  then,  at  a  foot's  pace,  they  proceeded  on 
their  way — Bathurst  keeping  a  close  watch  on  the  jungle 
at  the  side  on  which  the  tiger  had  entered  it. 

"How  came  you  to  travel  along  this  road  alone?"  he 
asked  the  man.  "  The  natives  only  venture  through  in 
large  parties,  because  of  this  tiger." 

"  I  am  a  stranger,"  the  man  answered;  "  I  heard  at  the 
village  where  we  slept  last  night  that  there  was  a  tiger  in 
this  jungle,  but  I  thought  we  should  be  through  it  before 
nightfall,  and  therefore  there  was  no  danger.  If  one 
heeded  all  they  say  about  tigers  one  would  never  travel  at 
all.  I  am  a  juggler,  and  we  are  on  our  way  down  the 
country  through  Cawnpore  and  Allahabad.  Had  it  not 
been  for  the  valor  of  my  lord  sahib,  we  should  never  have 
got  there;  for  had  1  lost  my  Eabda,  the  light  of  my  heart, 
I  should  have  gone  no  further,  but  should  have  waited  for 
the  tiger  to  take  me  also." 

"  There  was  no  particular  valor  about  it,"  Bathurst 
said  shortly.  "I  saw  the  beast  with  its  foot  on  your 
daughter,  and  dismounted  to  beat  it  off  just  as  if  it  had 
been  a  dog,  without  thinking  whether  there  was  any 
in  it  or  not.  Men  do  it  with  savage  beasts  in 


14  RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER. 

menageries  every  day.  They  are  cowardly  brutes  after 
all,  and  can't  stand  the  lash.  He  was  taken  altogether 
by  surprise  too." 

"  My  lord  has  saved  my  daughter's  life,  and  mine  is  at 
his  service  henceforth,"  the  man  said.  "  The  mouse  is  a 
small  beast,  but  he  may  warn  the  lion.  The  white  sahibe 
are  brave  and  strong.  Would  one  of  my  country  men 
have  ventured  his  life  to  attack  a  tiger,  armed  only  with  a 
whip,  for  the  sake  of  the  life  of  a  poor  wayfarer?  " 

"  Yes,  I  think  there  are  many  who  would  have  done 
so,"  Bathurst  replied.  "  You  do  your  countrymen  injus- 
tice. There  are  plenty  of  brave  men  among  them,  and  I 
have  heard  before  now  of  villagers,  armed  only  with 
sticks,  attacking  a  tiger  who  has  carried  off  a  victim  from 
among  them.  You  yourself  were  standing  boldly  before 
it  when  I  came  up." 

"  My  child  was  under  its  feet — besides,  I  never  thought 
of  myself.  If  I  had  had  a  weapon  I  should  not  have  drawn 
it.  I  had  no  thought  of  the  tiger;  I  only  thought  that 
my  child  was  dead.  She  works  with  me,  sahib;  since  her 
mother  died,  five  years  ago,  we  have  traveled  together 
over  the  country;  she  plays  while  I  conjure.  She  takes 
round  the  saucer  for  the  money,  and  she  acts  with  me  in 
the  tricks  that  require  two  persons;  it  is  she  who  dis- 
appears from  the  basket.  We  are  everything  to  each 
other,  sahib.  But  what  is  my  lord's  name?  Will  he  tell 
his  servant,  that  he  and  Radba  may  think  of  him  and  talk 
of  him  as  they  tramp  the  roads  together?  " 

"My  name  is  Ralph  Bathurst.  I  am  District  Officer 
at  Deennugghur.  How  far  are  you  going  this  evening?  " 

"  We  shall  sleep  at  the  first  village  we  come  to,  sahib; 
we  have  walked  many  hours  to-day,  and  this  box,  though 
its  contents  are  not  weighty,  is  heavy  to  bear.  We 
thought  of  going  down  to-morrow  to  Deennugghur,  and 
showing  our  performances  to  the  sahib-logue  there/' 

"  Very  well;  but  there  is  one  thing — what  is  your 
name?" 

"  Rujub." 

"  Well,  Rujub,  if  you  go  on  to  Deennugghur  to-morrow 
say  nothing  to  anyone  there  about  this  affair  with  the 
tiger;  it  is  nothing  to  talk  about.  I  am  not  a  shikari,  but 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  15 

a  hard-working  official,  and  I  don't  want  to  be  talked 
about." 

"  The  sahib's  wish  shall  be  obeyed,"  the  man  said. 

"  You  can  come  round  to  my  bungalow  and  ask  for  me; 
I  shall  be  glad  to  hear  whether  your  daughter  is  any  the 
worse  for  her  scare.  How  do  you  feel,  Eabda?  " 

"  I  feel  as  one  in  a  dream,  sahib.  I  saw  a  great  yellow 
beast  springing  through  the  air,  and  I  cried  out,  and  I 
knew  nothing  more  till  I  saw  the  sahib's  face;  and  now  I 
have  heard  him  and  my  father  talking,  but  their  voices 
sound  to  me  as  if  far  away,  though  I  know  that  you  are 
holding  me." 

"  You  will  be  all  the  better  after  a  night's  rest,  child; 
no  wonder  you  feel  strange  and  shaken.  Another  quarter 
of  an  hour  and  we  shall  be  at  the  village.  I  suppose, 
Eujub,  you  were  born  a  conjurer." 

"  Yes,  sahib,  it  is  always  so;  it  goes  down  from  father 
to  son.  As  soon  as  I  was  able  to  walk  I  began  to  work 
with  my  father,  and  as  I  grew  up  he  initiated  me  in  the 
secrets  of  our  craft,  which  we  may  never  divulge." 

"  No,  I  know  they  are  a  mystery.  Many  of  your  tricks 
can  be  done  by  our  conjurers  at  home,  but  there  are  some 
that  have  never  been  solved." 

"  I  have  been  offered,  more  than  once,  large  sums  by 
English  sahibs  to  tell  them  how  some  of  the  feats  were 
done,  but  I  could  not;  we  are  bound  by  terrible  oaths,  and 
in  no  case  has  a  juggler  proved  false  to  them.  Were  one 
to  do  so  he  would  be  slain  without  mercy,  and  his  fate  in 
the  next  world  would  be  terrible;  forever  and  forever 
his  soul  would  pass  through  the  bodies  of  the  foulest  and 
lowest  creatures,  and  there  would  be  no  forgiveness  for 
him.  I  would  give  my  life  for  the  sahib,  but  even  to  him 
I  would  not  divulge  our  mysteries." 

In  a  few  minutes  they  came  to  the  first  village  beyond 
the  jungle.  As  they  approached  it  Bathurst  checked  his 
horse  and  lifted  the  girl  down.  She  took  his  hand  and 
pressed  her  forehead  to  it. 

"  I  shall  see  you  to-morrow,  then,  Rujub,"  he  said,  and 
shaking  the  reins,  went  on  at  a  canter. 

a  That  is  a  new  character  for  me  to  come  out  in,"  he 
said  bitterly;  "  I  do  not  know  myself — I,  of  all  men.  But 


13  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

there  was  no  bravery  in  it;  it  never  occurred  to  me  to  be 
afraid;  I  just  thrashed  him  off  as  I  should  beat  off  a  dog 
who  was  killing  a  lamb;  there  was  no  noise,  and  it  is  noise 
that  frightens  me;  if  the  brute  had  roared  I  should  as- 
suredly have  run;  I  know  it  would  have  been  so;  I  could 
not  have  helped  it  to  have  saved  my  life.  It  is  an  awful 
curse  that  I  am  not  as  other  men,  and  that  I  tremble  and 
shake  like  a  girl  at  the  sound  of  firearms.  It  would  have 
been  better  if  I  had  been  killed  by  the  first  shot  fired  in 
the  Punjaub  eight  years  ago,  or  if  I  had  blown  my  brains 
out  at  the  end  of  the  day.  Good  Heavens!  what  have  I 
suffered  since.  But  I  will  not  think  of  it.  Thank  God, 
I  have  got  my  work;  and  as  long  as  I  keep  my  thoughts 
on  that  there  is  no  room  for  that  other; "  and  then,  by  a 
great  effort  of  will,  Ralph  Bathurst  put  the  past  behind 
him,  and  concentrated  his  thoughts  on  the  work  on  which 
he  had  been  that  day  engaged. 

The  juggler  did  not  arrive  on  the  following  evening  as 
he  had  expected,  but  late  in  the  afternoon  a  native  boy 
brought  in  a  message  from  him,  saying  that  his  daughter 
was  too  shaken  and  ill  to  travel,  but  that  they  would  come 
when  she  recovered. 

A  week  later,  on  returning  from  a  long  day's  work, 
Bathurst  was  told  that  a  juggler  was  in-  the  veranda 
waiting  to  see  him. 

"  I  told  him,  sahib,"  the  servant  said,  "  that  you  cared 
not  for  such  entertainments,  and  that  he  had  better  go 
elsewhere;  but  he  insisted  that  you  yourself  had  told  him 
to  come,  and  so  I  let  him  wait." 

"  Has  he  a  girl  with  him,  Jafur?  " 

"  Yes,  sahib." 

Bathurst  strolled  round  to  the  other  side  of  the  bunga- 
low, where  Eujub  was  sitting  patiently,  with  Eabda 
wrapped  in  her  blue  cloth  beside  him.  They  rose  to  their 
feet. 

"I  am  glad  to  see  your  daughter  is  better  again, 
Rujub." 

"  She  is  better,  sahib;  she  has  had  fever,  but  is  re- 
stored." 

"I  cannot  see  your  juggling  to-night,  Rujub.  I  have 
had  a  heavy  day's  work,  and  am  worn  out,  and  have  st?* 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  17 

Smeli  to  do.  You  had  better  go  round  to  some  of  the 
other  bungalows;  though  I  don't  think  you  will  do  much 
this  evening,  for  there  is  a  dinner  party  at  the  Collector's, 
and  almost  everyone  will  be  there.  My  servants  will  give 
you  food,  and  I  shall  be  off  at  seven  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing, but  shall  be  glad  to  see  you  before  I  start.  Are  you 
in  want  of  money?"  and  he  put  his  hand  in  his 
pocket. 

"  No,  sahib/'  the  juggler  said.  "  We  have  money  suffi- 
cient for  all  our  wants;  we  are  not  thinking  of  perform- 
ing to-night,  for  Eabda  is  not  equal  to  it.  Before  sun- 
rise we  shall  be  on  our  way  again;  I  must  be  at  Cawnpore, 
and  we  have  delayed  too  long  already.  Could  you  give  us 
but  half  an  hour  to-night,  sahib;  we  will  come  at  any  hour 
you  like.  I  would  show  you  things  that  few  Englishmen 
have  seen.  Not  mere  common  tricks,  sahib,  but  mysteries 
such  as  are  known  to  few  even  of  us.  Do  not  say  no, 
sahib." 

"  Well,  if  you  wish  it,  Eujub,  I  will  give  you  half  an 
hour,"  and  Bathurst  looked  at  his  watch.  "  It  is  seven 
nov,r,  and  I  have  to  dine.  I  have  work  to  do  that  will 
take  me  three  hours  at  least,  but  at  eleven  I  shall  have 
finished.  You  will  see  a  light  in  my  room;  come  straight 
to  the  open  window." 

"  We  will  be  there,  sahib;"  and  with  a  salaam  the  jug- 
gler walked  off,  followed  by  his  daughter. 

A  few  minutes  before  the  appointed  time  Bathurst 
threw  down  his  pen  with  a  little  sigh  of  satisfaction. 
The  memo,  he  had  just  finished  was  a  most  conclusive  one; 
it  seemed  to  him  unanswerable,  and  that  the-  Department 
would  have  trouble  in  disputing  his  facts  and  figiires.  He 
had  not  since  he  sat  down  to  his  work  given  another 
thought  to  the  juggler,  and  he  almost  started  as  a  figure 
appeared  in  the  veranda  at  the  open  window.  "  Ah, 
Eujub,  is  it  you?  I  have  just  finished  my  work.  Come 
in;  is  Eabda  with  you?  " 

"  She  will  remain  outside  until  I  want  her,"  the  juggler 
said,  as  he  entered  and  squatted  himself  on  the  floor.  "  I 
am  not  going  to  juggle,  sahib.  With  us  there  are  two 
sorts  of  feats;  there  are  those  that  are  performed  by 
sleight  of  hand  or  by  means  of  assistance.  These  are  the. 


18  RVJVB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

juggler's  tricks  we  show  in  the  verandas  and  compounds 
of  the  white  sahibs,  and  in  the  streets  of  the  cities.  There 
are  others  that  are  known  only  to  the  higher  order  among 
us,  that  we  show  only  on  rare  occasions.  They  have  come 
to  us  from  the  oldest  times,  and  it  is  said  they  were 
brought  by  wise  men  from  Egypt;  but  that  I  know 
not." 

"  I  have  always  been  interested  in  juggling,  and  have 
seen  many  things  that  I  cannot  understand,"  Bathurst 
said.  "  I  have  seen  the  basket  trick  done  on  the  road  in 
front  of  the  veranda,  as  well  as  in  other  places,  and  I 
cannot  in  any  way  account  for  it." 

The  juggler  took  from  his  basket  a  piece  of  wood  about 
two  feet  in  length  and  some  four  inches  in  diameter. 

"  You  see  this?  "  he  said. 

Bathurst  took  it  in  his  hand.  "  It  looks  like  a  bit  sawn 
off  a  telegraph  pole,"  he  said. 

"Will  you  come  outside,  sahib?" 

The  night  was  very  dark,  but  the  lamp  on  the  table 
threw  its  light  through  the  window  onto  the  drive  in 
front  of  the  veranda.  Rujub  took  with  him  a  piece  of 
wood  about  nine  inches  square,  with  a  soft  pad  on  the  top. 
He  went  out  in  the  drive  and  placed  the  piece  of  pole 
upright,  and  laid  the  wood  with  the  cushion  on  the 
top. 

"  Now  will  you  stand  in  the  veranda  a  while?  " 

Bathurst  stood  back  by  the  side  of  the  window  so  as  not 
to  interfere  with  the  passage  of  the  light.  Rabda  stole 
forward  and  sat  down  upon  the  cushion. 

"  Now  watch,  sahib." 

Bathurst  looked,  and  saw  the  block  of  wood  apparently 
growing.  Gradually  it  rose  until  Rabda  passed  up  beyond 
the  light  in  the  room. 

"You  may  come  out,"  the  juggler  said,  "but  do  not 
touch  the  pole.  If  you  do,  it  will  cause  a  fall,  which 
would  be  fatal  to  my  child." 

Bathurst  stepped  out  and  looked  up.  He  could  but 
just  make  out  the  figure  of  Rabda,  seemingly  already 
higher  than  the  top  of  the  bungalow.  Gradually  it  be- 
came more  and  more  indistinct. 

*  You  are  there,  Rabda?  "  her  father  said. 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER.  19 

"I  am  here,  father!"  and  the  voice  seemed  to  come 
from  a  considerable  distance. 

Again  and  again  the  question  was  asked,  and  the 
answer  became  fainter  and  fainter,  although  it  sounded 
as  if  it  was  a  distant  cry  in  response  to  Rujub's  shout 
rather  than  spoken  in  an  ordinary  voice. 

At  last  no  response  was  heard. 

"  Now  it  shall  descend,"  the  juggler  said. 

Two  or  three  minutes  passed,  and  then  Bathurst,  who 
was  staring  up  into  the  darkness,  could  make  out  the  end 
of  the  pole  with  the  seat  upon  it,  but  Rabda  was  no  longer 
there.  Rapidly  it  sank,  until  it  stood  its  original  height 
on  the  ground. 

"  Where  is  Rabda  ?  "  Bathurst  exclaimed. 

"  She  is  here,  my  lord,"  and  as  he  spoke  Rabda  rose 
from  a  sitting  position  on  the  balcony  close  to  Bathurst. 

"It  is  marvelous!"  the  latter  exclaimed.  "I  have 
heard  of  that  feat  before,  but  have  never  seen  it.  May  I 
take  up  that  piece  of  wood?  " 

"  Assuredly,  sahib." 

Bathurst  took  it  up  and  carried  it  to  the  light.  It  was 
undoubtedly,  as  he  had  before  supposed,  a  piece  of  solid 
wood.  The  juggler  had  not  touched  it,  or  he  would  have 
supposed  he  might  have  substituted  for  the  piece  he  first 
examined  a  sort  of  telescope  of  thin  sheets  of  steel,  but 
even  that  would  not  have  accounted  for  Rabda's  dis- 
appearance. 

"  I  will  show  you  one  other  feat,  my  lord." 

He  took  a  brass  dish,  placed  a  few  pieces  of  wood  and 
charcoal  in  it,  struck  a  match,  and  set  the  wood  on  fire, 
and  then  fanned  it  until  the  wood  had  burned  out,  and  the 
charcoal  was  in  a  glow;  then  he  sprinkled  some  powder 
upon  it,  and  a  dense  white  smoke  rose. 

"  Now  turn  out  the  lamp,  sahib." 

Bathurst  did  so.  The  glow  of  the  charcoal  enabled 
him  still  to  see  the  light  smoke;  this  seemed  to  him  to 
become  clearer  and  clearer. 

u  Now  for  the  past! "  Rujub  said.  The  smoke  grew 
brighter  and  brighter,  and  mixed  with  flashes  of  color; 
presently  Bathurst  saw  clearly  an  Indian  scene.  A  village 
stood  on  a  crest,  jets  of  smoke  darted  up  from  between 


SO  UUJUB,  TEE  JUGGLER. 

the  houses,  and  then  a  line  of  troops  in  scarlet  uniform 
advanced  against  the  village,  firing  as  they  went.  They 
paused  for  a  moment,  and  then  with  a  rush  went  at  the 
village  and  disappeared  in  the  smoke  over  the  crest. 

"  Good  Heavens,"  Bathurst  muttered,  "  it  is  the  battle 
of  Chillianwalla! " 

"The  future!"  Eujub  said,  and  the  colors  on  the 
smoke  changed.  Bathurst  saw  a  wall  surrounding  a 
courtyard.  On  one  side  was  a  house.  It  had  evidently 
been  besieged,  for  in  the  upper  part  were  many  ragged 
holes,  and  two  of  the  windows  were  knocked  into  one. 
On  the  roof  were  men.  firing,  and  there  were  one  or  two 
women  among  them.  He  could  see  their  faces  and 
features  distinctly.  In  the  courtyard  wall  there  was  a 
gap,  and  through  this  a  crowd  of  Sepoys  were  making 
their  way,  while  a  handful  of  whites  were  defending  a 
breastwork.  Among  them  he  recognized  his  own  figure. 
He  saw  himself  club  his  rifle  and  leap  down  into  the 
middle  of  the  Sepoys,  fighting  furiously  there.  The 
colors  faded  away,  and  the  room  was  in  darkness  again. 
There  was  the  crack  of  a  match,  and  then  Eujub  said 
quietly,  "  If  you  will  lift  off  the  globe  again,  I  will  light 
the  lamp,  sahib." 

Bathurst  almost  mechanically  did  as  he  was  told. 

"  Well,  sahib,  what  do  you  think  of  the  pictures?  " 

"  The  first  was  true,"  Bathurst  said  quietly,  "  though, 
how  you  knew  I  was  with  the  regiment  that  stormed  the 
village  at  Chillianwalla  I  know  not.  The  second  is  cer- 
tainly not  true." 

"  You  can  never  know  what  the  future  will  be,  sahib,'* 
the  juggler  said  gravely. 

"That  is  so,"  Bathurst  said;  "but  I  know  enough  of 
myself  to  say  that  it  cannot  be  true.  I  do  not  say  that 
the  Sepoys  can  never  be  fighting  against  whites,  improb- 
able as  it  seems,  but  that  I  was  doing  what  that  figure 
did  is,  I  know,  impossible." 

"Time  will  show,  sahib,"  the  juggler  said;  "the  pic- 
tures never  lie.  Shall  I  show  you  other  things?  " 

"  No,  Rujub,  you  have  shown  me  enough;  you  have 
astounded  me.  1  want  to  see  no  more  to-night." 

"  Then  farewell,  sahib;  we  shall  meet  again,  I  doubt  not, 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  21 

and  mayhap  I  may  be  able  to  repay  the  debt  I  owe  you;  '* 
and  Eujub,  lifting  his  basket,  went  out  through  the  win- 
dow without  another  word. 


CHAPTER  III. 

SOME  seven  or  eight  officers  were  sitting  round  the 
table  in  the  messroom  of  the  103d  Bengal  Infantry  at 
Cawnpore.  It  had  been  a  guest  night,  but  the  strangers 
had  left,  the  lights  had  been  turned  out  in  the  billiard- 
room  overhead,  the  whist  party  had  broken  up,  and  the 
players  had  rejoined  three  officers  who  had  remained  at 
table  smoking  and  talking  quietly. 

Outside,  through  the  open  French  windows,  the  ground 
looked  as  if  sprinkled  with  snow  beneath  the  white  light 
of  the  full  moon.  Two  or  three  of  the  mess  servants 
were  squatting  in  the  veranda,  talking  in  low  voices.  A 
sentry  walked  backwards  and  forwards  by  the  gate  lead- 
ing into  the  mess-house  compound;  beyond,  the  maidan 
stretched  away  flat  and  level  to  the  low  huts  of  the  native 
lines  on  the  other  side. 

"  So  the  Doctor  comes  back  to-morrow,  Major,"  the 
Adjutant,  who  had  been  one  of  the  whist  party,  said.  "  I 
shall  be  very  glad  to  have  him  back.  In  the  first  place, 
he  is  a  capital  fellow,  and  keeps  us  all  alive;  secondly,  he 
is  a  good  deal  better  doctor  than  the  station  surgeon  who 
has  been  looking  after  the  men  since  we  have  been  here; 
and  lastly,  if  I  had  got  anything  the  matter  with  me 
myself,  I  would  rather  be  in  his  hands  than  those  of  any- 
one else  I  know." 

"Yes,  I  agree  with  you,  Prothero;  the  Doctor  is  as 
good  a  fellow  as  ever  stepped.  There  is  no  doubt  about 
his  talent  in  his  profession;  and  there  are  a  good  many  of 
us  who  owed  our  lives  to  him  when  we  were  down  with 
cholera,  in  that  bad  attack  three  years  ago.  He  is  good 
all  round;  he  is  just  as  keen  a  shikari  as  he  was  when  he 
joined  the  regiment,  twenty  years  ago;  he  is  a  good 
billiard-player,  and  one  of  the  best  story-tellers  I  ever 
came  across;  but  his  best  point  is  that  he  is  such  a 
thoroughly  good  fellow — always  ready  to  do  a  good  turn 


22  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

to  anyone,  and  to  help  a  lame  dog  over  a  stile.  I  eoukl 
name  a  dozen  men  in  India  who  owe  their  commissions  te 
him.  I  don't  know  what  the  regiment  would  do  without 
him/' 

"  He  went  home  on  leave  just  after  I  joined,"  one  of 
the  subalterns  said.  "  Of  course,  I  know,  from  all  I  have 
heard  of  him,  that  he  is  an  awfully  good  fellow,  but  from 
the  little  I  saw  of  him  myself,  he  seemed  always  growling 
and  snapping." 

There  was  a  general  laugh  from  the  others. 

"  Yes,  that  is  his  way,  Thompson,"  the  Major  said;  *  he 
believes  himself  to  be  one  of  the  most  cynical  and  morose 
of  men." 

"  He  was  married,  wasn't  he,  Major?  " 

"  Yes,  it  was  a  sad  business.  It  was  only  just  after  I 
joined.  He  is  three  years  senior  to  me  in  the  regiment. 
He  was  appointed  to  it  a  month  or  two  after  the  Colonel 
joined.  Well,  as  I  say,  a  month  or  two  after  I  came  to  it, 
he  went  away  on  leave  down  to  Calcutta,  where  he  was 
to  meet  a  young  lady  who  had  been  engaged  to  him 
before  he  left  home.  They  were  married,  and  he  brought 
her  up  country.  Before  she  had  been  with  us  a  month 
we  had  one  of  those  outbreaks  of  cholera.  It  wasn't  a 
very  severe  one.  I  think  we  only  lost  eight  or  ten  men, 
and  no  officer;  but  the  Doctor's  young  wife  was  attacked, 
and  in  three  or  four  hours  she  was  carried  off.  It 
regularly  broke  him  down.  However,  he  got  over  it,  as 
we  all  do,  I  suppose;  and  now  I  think  he  is  married  to  the 
regiment.  He  could  have  had  staff  appointments  a  score 
of  times,  but  he  has  always  refused  them.  His  time  is  up 
next  year,  and  he  could  go  home  on  full  pay,  but  I  don't 
suppose  he  will." 

"  And  your  niece  arrives  with  him  to-morrow,  Major," 
the  Adjutant  said. 

"Yes,  I  am  going  to  try  petticoat  government,  Pro- 
thero.  I  don't  know  how  the  experiment  will  succeed, 
but  I  am  tired  of  an  empty  bungalow,  and  I  have  been 
looking  forward  for  some  years  to  her  being  old  enough 
to  come  out  and  take  charge.  It  is  ten  years  since  I  was 
home,  and  she  was  a  little  chit  of  eight  years  old  at  that 
time." 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER.  23 

**I  think  a  vote  of  thanks  ought  to  he  passed  to  you, 
Major.  We  have  only  married  ladies  in  the  regiment, 
and  it  will  wake  us  up  and  do  us  good  to  have  Miss 
Hannay  among  us." 

"  There  are  the  Colonel's  daughters/'  the  Major  said, 
with  a  smile. 

"  Yes,  there  are,  Major,  but  they  hardly  count;  they  are 
scarcely  conscious  of  the  existence  of  poor  creatures 
like  us;  nothing  short  of  a  Eesident  or,  at  any  rate,  of  a 
full-blown  Collector,  will  find  favor  in  their  eyes." 

"  Well,  I  warn  you  all  fairly,"  the  Major  said,  "  that  I 
shall  set  my  face  against  all  sorts  of  philandering  and 
love-making.  I  am  bringing  my  niece  out  here  as  my 
housekeeper  and  companion,  and  not  as  a  prospective  wife 
for  any  of  your  youngsters.  I  hope  she  will  turn  out  to 
be  as  plain  as  a  pikestaff,  and  then  I  may  have  some  hopes 
of  keeping  her  with  me  for  a  time.  The  Doctor,  in  his 
letter  from  Calcutta,  says  nothing  as  to  what  she  is  like, 
though  he  was  good  enough  to  remark  that  she  seemed  to 
have  a  fair  share  of  common  sense,  and  has  given  him  no 
more  trouble  on  the  voyage  than  was  to  be  expected  under 
the  circumstances.  And  now,  lads,  it  is  nearly  two 
o'clock,  and  as  there  is  early  parade  to-morrow,  it  is  high 
time  for  you  to  be  all  in  your  beds.  What  a  blessing  it 
would  be  if  the  sun  would  forget  to  shine  for  a  bit  on  this 
portion  of  the  world,  and  we  could  have  an  Arctic  night 
of  seven  or  eight  months  with  a  full  moon  the  whole 
time! » 

A  few  minutes  later  the  messroom  was  empty,  the 
lights  turned  out,  and  the  servants  wrapped  up  in  their 
blankets  had  disposed  themselves  for  sleep  in  the 
veranda. 

As  soon  as  morning  parade  was  over  Major  Hannay 
went  back  to  his  bungalow,  looked  round  to  see  that  his 
bachelor  quarters  were  as  bright  and  tidy  as  possible, 
then  got  into  a  light  suit  and  went  down  to  the  post- 
house.  A  quarter  of  an  hour  later  a  cloud  of  dust  along 
the  road  betokened  the  approach  of  the  Dak-Gharry,  and 
two  or  three  minutes  later  it  dashed  up  at  lull  gallop 
amid  a  loud  and  continuous  cracking  of  the  driver's  whip. 
The  wiry  little  horses  were  drawn  up  with  a  sudden  jerk. 


84 

The  Major  opened  the  door.  A  little  man  sprang  out  and 
grasped  him  by  the  hand. 

"  Glad  to  see  you,  Major — thoroughly  glad  to  be  back 
again.  Here  is  your  niece;  I  deliver  her  safe  and  soimd 
into  your  hands/'  And  between  them  they  helped  a  girl 
to  alight  from  the  vehicle. 

"I  am  heartily  glad  to  see  you,  my  dear,"  the  Major 
said,  as  he  kissed  her;  "  though  I  don't  think  I  should 
have  known  you  again." 

"  I  should  think  not,  uncle,"  the  girl  said.  "  In  the 
first  place,  I  was  a  little  girl  in  short  frocks  when  I  saw 
you  last;  and  in  the  second  place,  I  am  so  covered  with  the 
dust  that  you  can  hardly  see  what  I  am  like.  I  think  I 
should  have  known  you;  your  visit  made  a  great  impres- 
sion upon  us,  though  I  can  remember  now  how  dis- 
appointed we  were  when  you  first  arrived  that  you  hadn't 
a  red  coat  and  a  sword,  as  we  had  expected." 

"  Well,  we  may  as  well  be  off  at  once,  Isobel;  it  is  only 
five  minutes'  walk  to  the  bungalow.  My  man  will  see  to 
your  luggage  being  brought  up.  Come  along,  Doctor.  Of 
course  you  will  put  up  with  me  until  you  can  look  round 
and  fix  upon  quarters.  I  told  Eumzan  to  bring  your 
things  round  with  my  niece's.  You  have  had  a  very 
pleasant  voyage  out,  I  hope,  Isobel  ?  "  he  went  on,  as  they 
started. 

"  Very  pleasant,  uncle,  though  I  got  rather  tired  of  it 
at  last." 

"  That  is  generally  the  way — everyone  is  pleasant  and 
agreeable  at  first,  but  before  they  get  to  the  end  they  take 
to  quarreling  like  cats  and  dogs." 

"  We  were  not  quite  as  bad  as  that,"  the  girl  laughed, 
"  but  we  certainly  weren't  as  amiable  the  last  month  or 
so  as  we  were  during  the  first  part  of  the  voyage.  Still, 
it  was  very  pleasant  all  along,  and  nobody  quarreled  with 
me." 

"Present  company  are  always  excepted,"  the  Doctor 
said.  "  I  stood  in  loco  parentis,  Major,  and  the  result  has 
been  that  I  shall  feel  in  future  more  charitable  towards 
mothers  of  marriageable  daughters.  Still,  I  am  bound  to 
say  that  Miss  Hannay  has  given  me  as  little  trouble  as 
could  be  expected." 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER.  35 

"  You  frighten  me,  Doctor;  if  you  found  her  so  onerous 
only  for  a  voyage,  what  have  I  to  look  forward  to?  " 

"Well,  you  can't  say  that  I  didn't  warn  you,  Major: 
when  you  wrote  home  and  asked  me  to  take  charge  of 
your  niece  on  the  way  out,  I  told  you  frankly  that  my 
opinion  of  your  good  sense  was  shaken." 

"  Yes,  you  did  express  yourself  with  some  strength/' 
the  Major  laughed;  "but  then  one  is  so  accustomed  to 
that,  that  I  did  not  take  it  to  heart  as  I  might  otherwise 
have  done." 

"  That  was  before  you  knew  me,  Dr.  Wade,  otherwise 
I  should  feel  very  hurt,"  the  girl  put  in. 

"  Yes,  it  was,"  the  Doctor  said  dryly. 

"  Don't  mind  him,  my  dear,"  her  uncle  said;  "  we  all 
know  the  Doctor  of  old.  This  is  my  bungalow." 

"  It  is  prett}7,  with  all  these  flowers  and  shrubs  round 
it,"  she  said  admiringly. 

"  Yes,  we  have  been  doing  a  good  deal  of  watering  the 
last  few  weeks,  so  as  to  get  it  to  look  its  best.  This  is 
your  special  attendant;  she  will  take  you  up  to  your  room. 
By  the  time  you  have  had  a  bath,  your  boxes  will  be  here. 
I  told  them  to  have  a  cup  of  tea  ready  for  you  upstairs. 
Breakfast  will  be  on  the  table  by  the  time  you  are  ready." 

"  Well,  old  friend,"  he  said  to  the  Doctor,  when  the 
girl  had  gone  upstairs,  "  no  complications,  I  hope,  on  the 
voyage?" 

"  No,  I  think  not,"  the  Doctor  said.  "  Of  course,  there 
were  lots  of  young  puppies  on  board,  and  as  she  was  out 
and  out  the  best-looking  girl  in  the  ship  half  of  them 
were  dancing  attendance  upon  her  all  the  voyage,  but  I 
am  bound  to  say  that  she  acted  like  a  sensible  young 
woman;  and  though  she  was  pleasant  with  them  all,  she 
didn't  get  into  any  flirtation  with  one  more  than  another. 
I  did  my  best  to  look  after  her,  but,  of  course,  that  would 
have  been  of  no  good  if  she  had  been  disposed  to  go  her 
own  way.  I  fancy  about  half  of  them  proposed  to  her — 
not  that  she  ever  said  as  much  to  me — but  whenever  I 
observed  one  looking  sulky  and  giving  himself  airs  I  could 
guess  pretty  well  what  had  happened.  These  young 
puppies  are  all  alike,  and  we  are  not  without  experience 
of  the  species  out  here. 


26  RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER. 

"  Seriously,  Major,  I  think  you  are  to  be  congratulated. 
I  consider  thai  you  ran  a  tremendous  risk  in  asking  a 
young  woman,  of  whom  you  knew  nothing,  to  come  out  to 
you;  still  it  has  turned  out  well.  If  she  had  been  a  frivo- 
lous, giggling  thing,  like  most  of  them,  I  had  made  up  my 
mind  to  do  you  a  good  turn  by  helping  to  get  her  engaged 
on  the  voyage,  and  should  have  seen  her  married  offhand 
at  Calcutta,  and  have  come  up  and  told  you  that  you  were 
well  out  of  the  scrape.  As,  contrary  to  my  expectations, 
she  turned  out  to  be  a  sensible  young  woman,  I  did  my 
best  the  other  way.  It  is  likely  enough  you  may  have  her 
on  your  hands  some  little  time,  for  I  don't  think  she  is 
likely  to  be  caught  by  the  first  comer.  Well,  I  must  go 
and  have  my  bath;  the  dust  has  been  awful  coming  up 
from  Allahabad.  That  is  one  advantage,  and  the  only 
one  as  far  as  I  can  see,  that  they  have  got  in  England. 
They  don't  know  what  dust  is  there/' 

AVhen  the  bell  for  breakfast  rang,  and  Isobel  made  her 
appearance,  looking  fresh  and  cool,  in  a  light  dress,  the 
Major  said,  "  You  must  take  the  head  of  the  table,  my 
dear,  and  assume  the  reins  of  government  forthwith." 

"  Then  I  should  say,  uncle,  that  if  any  guidance  is  re- 
quired, there  will  be  an  upset  in  a  very  short  time.  No, 
that  won't  do  at  all.  You  must  go  on  just  as  you  were 
before,  and  I  shall  look  on  and  learn.  As  far  as  I  can  see, 
everything  is  perfect  just  as  it  is.  This  is  a  charming 
room,  and  I  am  sure  there  is  no  fault  to  be  found  with  the 
arrangement  of  these  flowers  on  the  table.  As  for  the 
cooking,  everything  looks  very  nice,  and,  anyhow,  if  you 
have  not  been  able  to  get  them  to  cook  to  your  taste,  it  is 
of  no  use  my  attempting  anything  in  that  way.  Besides, 
I  suppose  I  must  learn  something  of  the  language  belore 
I  can  attempt  to  do  anything.  No,  uncle,  I  will  sit  in  this 
chair  if  you  like,  and  make  tea  and  pour  it  out,  but  that 
is  the  beginning  and  the  end  of  my  assumption  of  the 
head  of  the  establishment  at  present/' 

"Well,  Isobel,  I  hardly  expected  that  you  were  going 
to  run  the  establishment  just  at  first;  indeed,  as  far  as 
that  goes,  one's  butler,  if  he  is  a  good  man,  has  pretty 
well  a  free  hand.  He  is  generally  responsible,  and  is  in 
fact  what  we  should  call  at  home  housekeeper — he  and 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER.  27 

the  cook  between  them  arrange  everything.  I  say  to  him, 
*  Three  gentlemen  are  coming  to  tiff  en.'  He  nods  and 
says  'Atcha,  sahib/  which  means  '  All  right,  sir/  and  then 
I  know  it  will  be  all  right.  If  I  have  a  fancy  for  any 
special  thing,  of  course  I  say  so.  Otherwise,  I  leave  it 
to  them,  and  if  the  result  is  not  satisfactory,  I  blow  up. 
Nothing  can  be  more  simple." 

"  But  how  about  bills,  uncle?  " 

"  Well,  my  dear,  the  butler  gives  them  to  me,  and  I  pay 
them.  He  has  been  with  me  a  good  many  years,  and  will 
not  let  the  others — that  is  to  say,  the  cook  and  the  syce, 
the  washerman,  and  so  on,  cheat  me  beyond  a  reasonable 
amount.  Do  you,  Eumzan?  " 

Eumzan,  who  has  standing  behind  the  Major's  chair,  in 
a  white  turban  and  dress,  with  a  red  and  white  sash 
round  his  waist,  smiled. 

"  Eumzan  not  let  anyone  rob  his  master." 

"  Not  to  any  great  extent,  you  know,  Eumzan.  One 
doesn't  expect  more  than  that." 

"  It  is  just  the  same  here,  Miss  Hannay,  as  it  is  every- 
where else,"  said  the  Doctor;  "  only  in  big  establishments 
in  England  they  rob  you  of  pounds,  while  here  they  rob 
you  of  annas,  which,  as  I  have  explained  to  you,  are  two- 
pence-halfpennies. The  person  who  undertakes  to  put 
down  little  peculations  enters  upon  a  war  in  which  he  is 
sure  to  get  the  worst  of  it.  He  wastes  his  time,  spoils  his 
temper,  makes  himself  and  everyone  around  him  uncom- 
fortable, and  after  all  he  is  robbed.  Life  is  too  short  for 
it,  especially  in  a  climate  like  this.  Of  course,  in  time 
you  get  to  understand  the  language;  if  you  see  anything 
in  the  bills  that  strikes  you  as  showing  waste  you  can  go 
into  the  thing,  but  as  a  rule  you  trust  entirely  to  your 
butler;  if  you  cannot  trust  him,  get  another  one.  Eumzan 
has  been  with  your  uncle  ten  years,  so  you  are  fortunate. 
If  the  Major  had  gone  home  instead  of  me,  and  if  you  had 
had  an  entirely  fresh  establishment  of  servants  to  look 
after,  the  case  would  have  been  different;  as  it  is,  you  will 
have  no  trouble  that  way." 

"  Then  what  are  my  duties  to  be,  uncle?  " 

"Your  chief  duties,  my  dear,  are  to  look  pleasant, 
which  will  evidently  be  no  trouble  to  you;  to  amuse  me 


gg  RVJVB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

and  keep  me  in  a  good  temper  as  far  as  possible;  to  keep 
on  as  good  terms  as  may  be  with  the  other  ladies  of  the 
station;  and,  what  will  perhaps  be  the  most  difficult  part 
of  your  work,  to  snub  and  keep  in  order  the  young 
officers  of  our  own  and  other  corps." 

Isobel  laughed.  "  That  doesn't  sound  a  very  difficult 
programme,  uncle,  except  the  last  item;  I  have  already 
had  a  little  experience  that  way,  haven't  I,  Doctor?  I 
hope  I  shall  have  the  benefit  of  your  assistance  in  the 
future,  as  I  had  aboard  the  ship." 

"  I  will  do  my  best,"  the  Doctor  said  grimly;  "  but  the 
British  subaltern  is  pretty  well  impervious  to  snubs;  he 
belongs  to  the  pachydermatous  family  of  animals;  his 
armor  of  self-conceit  renders  him  invulnerable  against  the 
milder  forms  of  raillery.  However,  I  think  you  can  be 
trusted  to  hold  your  own  with  him,  Miss  Hannay,  without 
much  assistance  from  the  Major  or  myself.  Your  real 
difficulty  will  lie  rather  in  your  struggle  against  the 
united  female  forces  of  the  station." 

"  But  why  shall  I  have  to  struggle  with  them?  "  Isobel 
asked,  in  surprise,  while  her  uncle  broke  into  a  laugh. 

"  Don't  frighten  her,  Doctor." 

"  She  is  not  so  easily  frightened,  Major;  it  is  just  as 
well  that  she  should  be  prepared.  Well,  my  dear  Miss 
Hannay,  Indian  society  has  this  peculiarity,  that  the 
women  never  grow  old.  At  least,"  he  continued,  in  reply 
to  the  girl's  look  of  surprise,  "  they  are  never  conscious 
of  growing  old.  At  home  a  woman's  family  grows  up 
about  her,  and  are  constant  reminders  that  she  is  becom- 
ing a  matron.  Here  the  children  are  sent  away  when, 
they  get  four  or  five  years  old,  and  do  not  appear  on  the 
scene  again  until  they  are  grown  up.  Then,  too,  ladies 
are  greatly  in  the  minority,  and  they  are  accustomed  to  be 
made  vastly  more  of  than  they  are  at  home,  and  the  con- 
sequence is  that  the  amount  of  envy,  hatred,  jealousy,  and 
all  uncharitableness  is  appalling." 

"  No,  no,  Doctor,  not  as  bad  as  that/'  the  Major  remon- 
strated. 

"Every  bit  as  bad  as  that,"  the  Doctor  said  stoutly. 
"I  am  not  a  woman-hater,  far  from  it;  but  I  have  felt 
sometimes  that  if  John  Company,  in  its  beneficence, 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  28 

would  pass  a  decree  absolutely  excluding  the  importation 
of  white  women  into  India  it  would  be  an  unmixed 
blessing." 

"For  shame,  Doctor,"  Isobel . Hannay  said;  "and  to 
think  that  I  should  have  such  a  high  opinion  of  you  up 
to  now." 

"  I  can't  help  it,  my  dear;  my  experience  is  that  for 
ninety-nine  out  of  every  hundred  unpleasantnesses  that 
take  place  out  here,  women  are  in  one  way  or  another 
responsible.  They  get  up  sets  and  cliques,  and  break  up 
what  might  be  otherwise  pleasant  society  into  sections. 
Talk  about  caste  amongst  natives;  it  is  nothing  to  the 
caste  among  women  out  here.  The  wife  of  a  civilian  of 
high  rank  looks  down  upon  the  wives  of  military  men, 
the  general's  wife  looks  down  upon  a  captain's,  and  so 
right  through  from  the  top  to  the  bottom. 

"  It  is  not  so  among  the  men,  or  at  any  rate  to  a  very 
much  smaller  extent.  Of  course,  some  men  are  pompous 
fools,  but,  as  a  rule,  if  two  men  meet,  and  both  are  gentle- 
men, they  care  nothing  as  to  what  their  respective  ranks 
may  be.  A  man  may  be  a  lord  or  a  doctor,  a  millionaire 
or  a  struggling  barrister,  but  they  meet  on  equal  terms  in 
society;  but  out  here  it  is  certainly  not  so  among  the 
women — they  stand  upon  their  husband's  dignity  in  a  way 
that  would  be  pitiable  if  it  were  not  exasperating.  Of 
course,  there  are  plenty  of  good  women  among  them,  as 
there  are  everywhere — women  whom  even  India  can't 
spoil;  but  what  with  exclusiveness,  and  with  the  amount 
of  admiration  and  adulation  they  get,  and  what  with  the 
want  of  occupation  for  their  thoughts  and  minds,  it  is 
very  hard  for  them  to  avoid  getting  spoilt." 

"  Well,  I  hope  I  shan't  get  spoilt,  Doctor;  and  I  hope, 
if  you  see  that  I  am  getting  spoilt,  you  will  make  a  point 
of  telling  me  so  at  once." 

The  Doctor  grunted.  "Theoretically,  people  are 
always  ready  to  receive  good  advice,  Miss  Hannay;  practi- 
cally, they  are  always  offended  by  it.  However,  in  your 
case  I  will  risk  it,  and  I  am  bound  to  say  that  hitherto 
you  have  proved  yourself  more  amenable  in  that  way  than 
most  young  women  I  have  come  across." 

u  And  now,  if  we  have  done,  we  will  go  out  on  the  ver- 


30  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

anda,"  the  Major  said.  "  I  am  sure  the  Doctor  must  be 
dying  for  a  cheroot." 

"  The  Doctor  has  smoked  pretty  continuously  since  we 
left  Allahabad,"  Isohel  said.  "  He  wanted  to  sit  up  with 
the  driver,  but,  of  course,  I  would  not  have  that.  I  had 
got  p.  jtty  well  accustomed  to  smoke  coming  out,  and  even 
if  I  had  not  been  I  would  much  rather  have  been  almost 
suffocated  than  have  been  in  there  by  myself.  I  thought 
a  dozen  times  the  vehicle  was  going  to  upset,  and  what 
with  the  bumping  and  the  shouting  and  the  cracking  of 
the  whip — especially  when  the  horses  wouldn't  start, 
which  was  generally  the  case  at  first — I  should  have  been 
frightened  out  of  my  life  had  I  been  alone.  It  seemed 
to  me  that  something  dreadful  was  always  going  to 
happen." 

"  You  can  take  it  easy  this  morning,  Isobel,"  the  Major 
said,  when  they  were  comfortably  seated  in  the  bamboo 
lounges  in  the  veranda.  "You  want  have  any  callers 
to-day,  as  it  will  be  known  you  traveled  all  night.  People 
will  imagine  that  you  want  a  quiet  day  before  you  are  on 
show." 

"  What  a  horrid  expression,  uncle! " 

"  Well,  my  dear,  it  represents  the  truth.  The  arrival 
of  a  fresh  lady  from  England,  especially  of  a  *  spin.,' 
which  is  short  for  spinster  or  unmarried  woman,  is  an 
event  of  some  importance  in  an  Indian  station.  Not,  of 
course,  so  much  in  a  place  like  this,  because  this  is  the 
center  of  a  large  district,  but  in  a  small  station  it  is  an 
event  of  the  first  importance.  The  men  are  anxious  to 
see  what  a  newcomer  is  like  for  herself;  the  women,  to 
look  at  her  dresses  and  see  the  latest  fashions  from  home, 
and  also  to  ascertain  whether  she  is  likely  to  turn  out  a 
formidable  rval.  However,  to-day  you  can  enjoy  quiet; 
to-morrow  you  must  attire  yourself  in  your  most  becoming 
costume,  and  I  will  trot  you  round." 

"  Trot  me  round,  uncle?  " 

"  Yes,  my  dear.  In  India  the  order  of  procedure  is  re- 
versed, and  newcomers  call  in  the  first  place  upon 
residents." 

"What  a  very  unpleasant  custom,  uncle;  especially  as 
some  of  the  residents  mav  not  want  to  know  them." 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  81 

"  Well,  everyone  must  know  everyone  else  in  a  station, 
my  dear,  though  they  may  not  wish  to  be  intimate.  So. 
about  half-past  one  to-morrow  we  will  start." 

"  What,  in  the  heat  of  the  day,  uncle?  " 

"Yes,  my  dear.  That  is  another  of  the  inscrutable 
freaks  of  Indian  fashion.  The  hours  for  calling  are  from 
about  half-past  twelve  to  half-past  two,  just  in  the  hottest 
hours.  I  don't  pretend  to  account  for  it." 

"  How  many  ladies  are  there  in  the  regiment  ?  " 

"  There  is  the  Colonel's  wife,  Mrs.  Cromarty.  She  has 
two  grown-up  red-headed  girls/'  replied  the  Doctor. 
"  She  is  a  distant  relation — a  second  cousin — of  some 
Scotch  lord  or  other,  and,  on  the  strength  of  that  and  her 
husband's  colonelcy,  gives  herself  prodigious  airs.  Three 
of  the  captains  are  married.  Mrs.  Doolan  is  a  merry 
little  Irish  woman.  You  will  like  her.  She  has  two  or 
three  children.  She  is  a  general  favorite  in  the  regiment. 

"  Mrs.  Eintoul — I  suppose  she  is  here  still,  Major,  and 
unchanged?  Ah,  I  thought  so.  She  is  a  washed-out 
woman,  without  a  spark  of  energy  in  her  composition. 
She  believes  that  she  is  a  chronic  invalid,  and  sends  for 
me  on  an  average  once  a  week.  But  there  is  nothing  really 
the  matter  with  her,  if  she  would  but  only  believe  it. 
Mrs.  Roberts " 

"  Don't  be  ill-natured,  Doctor,"  the  Major  broke  in. 
"  Mrs.  Roberts,  my  dear,  is  a  good-looking  woman,  and  a 
general  flirt.  I  don't  think  there  is  any  harm  in  her 
whatever.  Mrs.  Prothero,  the  Adjutant's  wife,  has  only 
been  out  here  eighteen  months,  and  is  a  pretty  little 
woman,  and  in  all  respects  nice.  There  is  only  one  other, 
Mrs.  Scarsdale;  she  came  out  six  months  ago.  She  is  a 
quiet  young  woman,  with,  I  should  say,  plenty  of  common 
sense:  I  should  think  you  will  like  her.  That  completes 
the  regimental  list." 

"  Well,  that  is  not  so  very  formidable.  Anyhow,  it  is  a 
comfort  that  we  shall  have  no  one  here  to-day." 

"  You  will  have  the  whole  regiment  here  in  a  few  min- 
utes, Isobel,  but  they  will  be  coming  to  see  the  Doctor,  not 
you;  if  it  hadn't  been  that  they  knew  you  were  under  his 
charge  everyone  would  have  come  down  to  meet  him 
when  he  arrived.  But  if  you  feel  tired,  as  I  am  sure  you 


32  RUJUB,  THE  JUGQLER. 

must  be  after  your  journey,  there  is  no  reason  why  you 
shouldn't  go  and  lie  down  quietly  for  a  few  hours." 

"  I  will  stop  here,  uncle;  it  will  be  much  less  embarrass- 
ing to  see  them  all  for  the  first  time  when  they  come 
to  see  Dr.  Wade  and  I  am  quite  a  secondary  consideration, 
than  if  they  had  to  come  specially  to  call  on  me." 

"  Well,  I  agree  with  you  there,  my  dear.  Ah!  here 
come  Doolan  and  Prothero." 

A  light  trap  drove  into  the  inclosure  and  drew  up  in 
front  of  the  veranda,  and  two  officers  jumped  down, 
whilst  the  syce,  who  had  been  standing  on  a  step  behind, 
ran  to  the  horse's  head.  They  hailed  the  Doctor,  as  he 
stepped  out  from  the  veranda,  with  a  shout. 

"  Glad  to  see  you  back,  Doctor.  The  regiment  has  not 
seemed  like  itself  without  you." 

"  We  have  been  just  pining  without  you,  Doctor,"  Cap- 
tain Doolan  said;  "and  the  ladies  would  have  got  up  a 
deputation  to  meet  you  on  your  arrival,  only  I  told  them 
that  it  would  be  too  much  for  your  modesty." 

"  Well,  it  is  a  good  thing  that  someone  has  a  little  of 
that  quality  in  the  regiment,  Doolan,"  the  Doctor  said, 
as  he  shook  hands  heartily  with  them  both.  "  It  is  very 
little  of  it  that  fell  to  the  share  of  Ireland  when  it  was 
served  out." 

As  they  dropped  the  Doctor's  hand  the  Major  said, 
"Now,  gentlemen,  let  me  introduce  you  to  my  niece." 
The  introductions  were  made,  and  the  whole  party  took 
chairs  on  the  veranda. 

"  Do  you  object  to  smoking,  Miss  Hannay;  perhaps  you 
have  not  got  accustomed  to  it  yet?  I  see  the  Doctor  is 
smoking;  but  then  he  is  a  privileged  person,  altogether 
beyond  rule." 

"  I  rather  like  it  in  the  open  air,"  Isobel  said.  "  No 
doubt  I  shall  get  accustomed  to  it  indoors  before  long." 

In  a  few  minutes  four  or  five  more  of  the  officers 
arrived,  and  Isobel  sat  an  amused  listener  to  the  talk;  tak- 
ing but  little  part  in  it  herself,  but  gathering  a  good  deal 
of  information  as  to  the  people  at  the  station  from  the 
answers  given  to  the  Doctor's  inquiries.  It  was  very  much 
like  the  conversation  on  board  ship,  except  that  the  topics 
of  conversation  were  wider  and  more  numerous,  and  there 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER.  33 

was  a  community  of  interest  wanting  on  board  a  ship. 
In  half  an  hour,  however,  the  increasing  warmth  and  her 
sleepless  night  began  to  tell  upon  her,  and  her  uncle,  see- 
ing that  she  was  beginning  to  look  fagged,  said,  "  The 
best  thing  that  you  can  do,  Isobel,  is  to  go  indoors  for  a 
bit,  and  have  a  good  nap.  At  five  o'clock  I  will  take  you 
round  for  a  drive,  and  show  you  the  sights  of  Cawnpore." 

"  I  do  feel  sleepy,"  she  said,  "  though  it  sounds  rude  to 
say  so." 

"  Not  at  all,"  the  Doctor  put  in;  "  if  any  of  these 
young  fellows  had  made  the  journey  out  from  Allahabad 
in  that  wretched  gharry,  they  would  have  turned  into  bed 
as  soon  as  they  arrived,  and  would  not  have  got  up  till  the 
first  mess  bugle  sounded,  and  very  likely  would  have  slept 
on  until  next  morning. 

"  Now,"  he  went  on,  when  Isobel  had  disappeared,  "  we 
will  adjourn  with  you  to  the  mess-house.  That  young 
lady  would  have  very  small  chance  of  getting  to  sleep 
with  all  this  racket  here.  Doolan's  voice  alone  would 
banish  sleep  anywhere  within  a  distance  of  a  hundred 
yards." 

"  I  will  join  you  there  later,  Doctor,"  the  Major  said. 
"  I  have  got  a  couple  of  hours'  work  in  the  orderly  room. 
Rumzan,  don't  let  my  niece  be  disturbed,  but  if  she  wakes 
and  rings  the  bell  send  up  a  message  by  the  woman  that  I 
shall  not  be  back  until  four." 

The  Major  walked  across  to  the  orderly  room,  while  the 
rest,  mounting  their  buggies,  drove  to  the  mess-house, 
which  was  a  quarter  of  a  mile  away. 

"  I  should  think  Miss  Hannay  will  prove  a  valuable 
addition  to  our  circle,  Doctor,"  the  Adjutant  said.  "I 
don't  know  why,  but  I  gathered  from  what  the  Major  said 
that  his  niece  was  very  young.  He  spoke  of  her  as  if  she 
were  quite  a  child." 

"  She  is  a  very  nice,  sensible  young  woman,"  the  Doctor 
said;  "clever  and  bright,  and,  as  you  can  see  for  your- 
selves, pretty,  and  yet  no  nonsense  about  her.  I  only 
hope  that  she  won't  get  spoilt  here;  nineteen  out  of 
twenty  young  women  do  get  spoilt  within  six  months  of 
their  arrival  in  India,  but  I  think  she  will  be  one  of  the 
exceptions." 


34  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

"I  should  have  liked  to  have  seen  the  Doctor  doing 
chaperon,"  Captain  Doolan  laughed;  "he  would  have 
been  a  brave  man  who  woirid  have  attempted  even  the 
faintest  flirtation  with  anyone  under  his  charge." 

"  That  is  your  opinion,  is  it,  Doolan?  "  the  Doctor  said 
sharply.  "  I  should  have  thought  that  even  your  com- 
mon sense  would  have  told  you  that  anyone  who  has  had 
the  misfortune  to  see  as  much  of  womankind  as  I  have 
would  have  been  aware  that  any  endeavor  to  check  a 
flirtation  for  which  they  are  inclined  would  be  of  all 
others  the  way  to  induce  them  to  go  in  for  it  headlong. 
You  are  a  married  man  yourself,  and  ought  to  know  that. 
A  woman  is  a  good  deal  like  a  spirited  horse;  let  her  have 
her  head,  and,  though  she  may  for  a  time  make  the  pace 
pretty  fast,  she  will  go  straight,  and  settle  down  to  her 
collar  in  time,  whereas  if  you  keep  a  tight  curb  she  will 
fret  and  fidget,  and  as  likely  as  not  make  a  bolt  for  it.  I 
can  assure  you  that  my  duties  were  of  the  most  nominal 
description.  There  were  the  usual  number  of  hollow- 
pated  lads  on  board,  who  buzzed  in  their  usual  feeble  way 
round  Miss  Hannay,  and  were  one  after  another  duly 
snubbed.  Miss  Hannay  has  plenty  of  spirits,  and  a  con- 
siderable sense  t>f  humor,  and  I  think  that  she  enjoyed  the 
voyage  thoroughly.  And  now  let  us  talk  of  something 
else." 

After  an  hour's  chat  the  Doctor  started  on  his  round 
of  calls  upon  the  ladies;  the  Major  had  not  come  in  from 
the  orderly  room,  and,  after  the  Doctor  left,  Isobel 
Hannay  was  again  the  topic  of  conversation. 

"  She  is  out  and  out  the  prettiest  girl  in  the  station," 
the  Adjutant  said  to  some  of  the  officers  who  had  not  seen 
her.  "  She  will  make  quite  a  sensation;  and  there  are  five 
or  six  ladies  in  the  station,  whose  names  I  need  hardly 
mention,  who  will  not  be  very  pleased  at  her  coming. 
She  is  thoroughly  in  good  form,  too;  nothing  in  the 
Slightest  degree  fast  or  noisy  about  her.  She  is  quiet  and 
self-possessed.  I  fancy  she  will  be  able  to  hold  her  own 
against  any  of  them.  Clever?  I  should  say  '  certainly  '; 
but,  of  course,  that  is  from  her  face  rather  than  from 
anything  she  said.  I  expect  half  the  unmarried  men  in 
tlw  station  will  be  going  wild  over  her.  You  need  not 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  35 

look  so  interested,  Wilson;  the  matter  is  of  no  more  per- 
sonal interest  to  you  than  if  I  were  describing  a  ne\r 
comet.  Nothing  less  than  a  big  civilian  is  likely  to  carry 
off  such  a  prize,  so  I  warn  you  beforehand  you  had  better 
not  be  losing  your  heart  to  her." 

"  Well,  you  know,  Prothero,  subalterns  do  manage  to 
get  wives  sometimes." 

There  was  a  laugh. 

"  That  is  true  enough,  Wilson;  but  then,  you  see,  I 
married  at  home;  besides,  I  am  adjutant,  which  sounds  a 
lot  better  than  subaltern." 

"  That  may  go  for  a  good  deal  in  the  regiment,"  Wilson 
retorted,  "  but  I  doubt  if  there  are  many  women  that 
know  the  difference  between  an  adjutant  and  a  quarter- 
master. They  know  about  colonels,  majors,  captains,  and 
even  subalterns;  but  if  you  were  to  say  that  you  were  an 
adjutant  they  would  be  simply  mystified,  though  they 
might  understand  if  you  said  bandmaster.  But  I  fancy 
sergeant-major  would  sound  ever  so  much  more  impos- 
ing." 

"  Wilson,  if  you  are  disrespectful,  I  shall  discover  to- 
morrow, on  parade,  that  No.  3  Company  wants  a  couple  of 
hours'  extra  drill  badly,  and  then  you  will  feel  how  griev- 
ous a  mistake  it  is  to  cheek  an  adjutant." 

The  report  of  those  who  had  called  at  the  Major's  was 
go  favorable  that  curiosity  was  quite  roused  as  to  the  new- 
comer, and  when  the  Major  drove  round  with  her  the  next 
day  everyone  was  at  home,  and  the  verdict  on  the  part  of 
the  ladies  was  generally  favorable,  but  was  by  no  means 
so  unqualified  as  that  of  the  gentlemen. 

Mrs.  Cromarty  admitted  that  she  was  nice-looking;  but 
was  critical  as  to  her  carriage  and  manner.  She  would 
be  admired  by  young  officers,  no  doubt,  but  there  was  too 
much  life  and  animation  about  her,  and  although  she 
would  not  exactly  say  that  she  stooped,  she  was  likely  to 
do  so  in  time.  "  She  will  be  nothing  remarkable  when 
her  freshness  has  worn  off  a  little."  In  this  opinion  the 
Misses  Cromarty  thoroughly  assented.  They  had  never 
been  accused  of  stooping,  and,  indeed,  were  almost  pain- 
fully upright,  and  were  certainly  not  particularly  admired 
by  subalterns. 


36  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

Mrs.  Doolan  was  charmed  with  her,  and  told  her  sho 
hoped  that  thejr  would  be  great  friends. 

"  This  is  a  very  pleasant  life  out  here,  my  dear,"  she 
said,  "  if  one  does  but  take  it  in  the  right  way.  There  is  a 
great  deal  of  tittle-tattle  in  the  Indian  stations,  and  some 
quarreling;  but,  you  know,  it  takes  two  to  make  a  quar- 
rel, and  I  make  it  a  point  never  to  quarrel  with  anyone. 
It  is  too  hot  for  it.  Then,  you  see,  I  have  the  advantage 
of  being  Irish,  and,  for  some  reason  or  other  that  I  don't 
understand  we  can  say  pretty  nearly  what  we  like.  Peo- 
ple don't  take  us  seriously,  you  know;  so  I  keep  in  with 
them  all." 

Mrs.  Rintoul  received  her  visitors  on  the  sofa.  "  It  is 
quite  refreshing  to  see  a  face  straight  from  England,  Miss 
Hannay.  I  only  hope  that  you  may  keep  your  bright 
color  and  healthy  looks.  Some  people  do.  Not  their 
color,  but  their  health.  Unfortunately  I  am  not  one  of 
them.  I  do  not  know  what  it  is  to  have  a  day's  health. 
The  climate  completely  oppresses  me,  and  I  am  fit 
for  nothing.  You  would  hardly  believe  that  I  was  as 
strong  and  healthy  as  you  are  when  I  first  came  out. 
You  came  out  with  Dr.  Wade — a  clever  man — I  have  a 
very  high  opinion  of  his  talent,  but  my  case  is  beyond 
him.  It  is  a  sad  annoyance  to  him  that  it  is  so,  and  he  is 
continually  trying  to  make  me  believe  that  there  is  noth- 
ing the  matter  with  me,  as  if  my  looks  did  not  speak  for 
themselves." 

Mrs.  Rintoul  afterwards  told  her  husband  she  could 
hardly  say  that  she  liked  Miss  Hannay.  "  She  is  dis- 
tressingly brisk  and  healthy,  and  I  should  say,  my  dear, 
not  of  a  sympathetic  nature,  which  is  always  a  pity  in  a 
young  woman." 

After  this  somewhat  depressing  visit,  the  call  upon 
Mrs.  Roberts  was  a  refreshing  one.  She  received  her 
rery  cordially. 

"I  like  you,  Miss  Hannay,"  she  said,  when,  after  a 
quarter  of  an  hour's  lively  talk,  the  Major  and  his  niece 
got  up  to  go.  "I  always  say  what  I  think,  and  it  IB 
very  good-natured  of  me  to  say  so,  for  I  don't  dis- 
guise from  myself  that  you  will  put  my  nose  out  of 
joint." 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  3? 

"  I  don't  want  to  put  anyone's  nose  out  of  joint,"  Isobel 
laughed. 

"  You  will  do  it,  whether  you  want  to  or  not,"  Mrs. 
Koberts  said;  "  my  husband  as  much  as  told  me  so  last 
night,  and  I  was  prepared  not  to  like  you,  but  I  see  that  1 
shall  not  be  able  to  help  doing  so.  Major  Hannay,  you 
have  dealt  me  a  heavy  blow,  but  I  forgive  you." 

When  the  round  of  visits  was  finished  the  Major  said, 
"  Well,  Isobel,  what  do  you  think  of  the  ladies  of  the  regi- 
ment?" 

"  I  think  they  are  all  very  nice,  uncle.  I  fancy  I  shall 
like  Mrs.  Doolan  and  Mrs.  Scarsdale  best;  I  won't  give 
any  opinion  yet  about  Mrs.  Cromarty." 


CHAPTEK   IV. 

THE  life  of  Isobel  Hannay  had  not,  up  to  the  time  when 
she  left  England  to  join  her  uncle,  been  a  very  bright  one. 
At  the  death  of  her  father,  her  mother  had  been  left  with 
an  income  that  enabled  her  to  live,  as  she  said,  genteelly, 
at  Brighton.  She  had  three  children:  the  eldest  a  girl  of 
twelve;  Isobel,  who  was  eight;  and  a  boy  of  five,  who  was 
sadly  deformed,  the  result  of  a  fall  from  the  arms  of  a 
careless  nurse  when  he  was  an  infant.  It  was  at  that 
time  that  Major  Hannay  had  come  home  on  leave,  having 
been  left  trustee  and  executor,  had  seen  to  all  the  money 
arrangements,  and  had  established  his  brother's  widow 
at  Brighton.  The  work  had  not  been  altogether  pleasant, 
for  Mrs.  Hannay  was  a  selfish  and  querulous  woman,  very 
difficult  to  satisfy  even  in  little  matters,  and  with  a 
chronic  suspicion  that  everyone  with  whom  she  came  in 
contact  was  trying  to  get  the  best  of  her.  Her  eldest 
girl  was  likely,  Captain  Hannay  thought,  to  take  after  her 
mother,  whose  pet  she  was,  while  Isobel  took  after  her 
father.  He  had  suggested  that  both  should  be  sent  to 
school,  but  Mrs.  Hannay  would  not  hear  of  parting  from 
Helena,  but  was  willing  enough  that  Isobel  should  be  sent 
to  a  boarding  school  at  her  uncle's  expense. 

As  the  years  went  by,  Helena  grew  up,  as  Mrs.  Hannay 
proudly  said,  the  image  of  what  she  herself  had  been  at 


38  RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER. 

her  age — tall  and  fair,  indolent  and  selfish,  fond  of  dress 
and  gayety,  discontented  because  their  means  would  not 
permit  them  to  indulge  in  either  to  the  fullest  extent. 
There  was  nothing  in  common  between  her  and  her  sister, 
who,  when  at  home  for  the  holidays,  spent  her  time 
almost  entirely  with  her  brother,  who  received  but  slight 
attention  from  anyone  else,  his  deformity  being  con- 
sidered as  a  personal  injury  and  affliction  by  his  mother 
and  elder  sister. 

"  You  could  not  care  less  for  him,"  Isobel  once  said,  in 
a  fit  of  passion,  "  if  he  were  a  dog.  1  don't  think  you 
notice  him  more,  not  one  bit.  He  wanders  about  the 
house  without  anybody  to  give  a  thought  to  him.  I  call 
it  cruel,  downright  cruel." 

"  You  are  a  wicked  girl,  Isobel,"  her  mother  said 
angrily,  "  a  wicked,  violent  girl,  and  I  don't  know  what 
will  become  of  you.  It  is  abominable  of  you  to  talk  so, 
even  if  you  are  wicked  enough  to  get  into  a1  passion. 
What  can  we  do  for  him  that  we  don't  do?  What  is  the 
use  of  talking  to  him  when  he  never  pays  attention  to 
what  we  say,  and  is  always  moping.  I  am  sure  we  get 
everything  that  we  think  will  please  him,  and  he  goes  out 
for  a  walk  with  us  every  day;  what  could  possibly  be  done 
more  for  him?  " 

"A  great  deal  more  might  be  done  for  him,"  Isobel 
burst  out.  "  You  might  love  him,  and  that  would  be 
everything  to  him.  I  don't  believe  you  and  Helena  love 
him,  not  one  bit,  not  one  tiny  scrap." 

"  Go  up  to  your  room,  Isobel,  and  remain  there  for  the 
rest  of  the  day.  You  are  a  very  bad  girl.  I  shall  write 
to  Miss  Virtue  about  you;  there  must  be  something  very 
wrong  in  her  management  of  you,  or  you  would  never  be 
so  passionate  and  insolent  as  you  are." 

But  Isobel  had  not  stopped  to  hear  the  last  part  of  the 
sentence,  the  door  had  slammed  behind  her.  She  was  not 
many  minutes  alone  upstairs,  for  Kobert  soon  followed 
her  up,  for  when  she  was  at  home  he  rarely  left  her  side, 
watching  her  every  look  and  gesture  with  eyes  as  loving  as 
those  of  a  dog,  and  happy  to  sit  on  the  ground  beside  her, 
with  his  head  leaning  against  her,  for  hours  together. 

Mrs.  Hannay  kept  her  word  and  wrote  to  Miss  Virtue, 


ROJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  39 

and  the  evening  after  she  returned  to  school  Isobel  was 
summoned  to  her  room. 

"  I  am  sorry  to  say,  I  have  a  very  bad  account  of  you 
from  your  mother.  She  says  you  are  a  passionate  and 
wicked  girl.  How  is  it,  dear;  you  are  not  passionate  here, 
and  I  certainly  do  not  think  you  are  wicked?  " 

"I  can't  help  it  when  I  am  at  home,  Miss  Virtue.  I 
am  sure  I  try  to  be  good,  but  they  won't  let  me.  They 
don't  like  me  because  I  can't  be  always  tidy  and  what  they 
call  prettily  behaved,  and  because  I  hate  walking  on  the 
parade  and  being  stuck-up  and  unnatural,  and  they  don't 
like  me  because  I  am  not  pretty,  and  because  I  am  thin 
and  don't  look,  as  mamma  says,  a  credit  to  her;  but  it  is 
not  that  so  much  as  because  of  Eobert.  You  know  he  is 
deformed,  Miss  Virtue,  and  they  don't  care  for  him,  and 
he  has  no  one  to  love  him  but  me,  and  it  makes  me  mad  to 
see  him  treated  so.  That  is  what  it  was  she  wrote  about. 
I  told  her  they  treated  him  like  a  dog,  and  so  they  do," 
and  she  burst  into  tears. 

"  But  that  was  very  naughty,  Isobel,"  Miss  Virtue  said 
gravely.  "  You  are  only  eleven  years  old,  and  too  young 
to  be  a  judge  of  these  matters,  and  even  if  it  were  as  you 
say,  it  is  not  for  a  child  to  speak  so  to  her  mother." 

"I  know  that,  Miss  Virtue,  but  how  can  I  help  it?  I 
could  cry  out  with  pain  when  I  see  Eobert  looking  from 
one  to  the  other  just  for  a  kind  word,  which  he  never  gets. 
It  is  no  use,  Miss  Virtue;  if  it  was  not  for  him  I  would 
much  rather  never  go  home  at  all,  but  stop  here  through 
the  holidays,  only  what  would  he  do  if  I  didn't  go  home? 
I  am  the  only  pleasure  he  has.  When  I  am  there  he  will 
Bit  for  hours  on  my  knee,  and  lay  his  head  on  my  shoulder, 
and  stroke  my  face.  It  makes  me  feel  as  if  my  heart 
would  break." 

"  Well,  my  dear,"  Miss  Virtue  said,  somewhat  puzzled, 
"  it  is  sad,  if  it  is  as  you  say,  but  that  does  not  excuse  your 
being  disrespectful  to  your  mother.  It  is  not  for  you  to 
judge  her." 

e<  But  cannot  something  be  done  for  Eobert,  Miss 
Virtue?  Surely  they  must  do  something  for  children 
like  him." 

"There  are  people,  my  dear,  who  take  a  few  afflicted 


40  KUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

children  and  give  them  special  training.  Children  of  that 
kind  have  sometimes  shown  a  great  deal  of  unusual  talent, 
and,  if  so,  it  is  cultivated,  and  they  are  put  in  a  way  of 
earning  a  livelihood." 

"Are  there?"  Isobel  exclaimed,  with  eager  eyes. 
"  Then  I  know  what  I  will  do,  Miss  Virtue;  I  will  write  off 
at  once  to  Uncle  Tom — he  is  our  guardian.  I  know  if 
I  were  to  speak  to  mamma  about  Kobert  going  to  school 
it  would  be  of  no  use;  but  if  uncle  writes  I  dare  say  it 
would  be  done.  I  am  sure  she  and  Helena  would  be  glad 
enough.  I  don't  suppose  she  ever  thought  of  it.  It 
would  be  a  relief  to  them  to  get  him  out  of  their  sight." 

Miss  Virtue  shook  her  head.  "  You  must  not  talk  so, 
Isobel.  It  is  not  right  or  dutiful,  and  you  are  a  great 
deal  too  young  to  judge  your  elders,  even  if  they  were  not 
related  to  you;  and,  pray,  if  you  write  to  your  uncle  do 
not  write  in  that  spirit — it  would  shock  him  greatly,  and 
he  would  form  a  very  bad  opinion  of  you." 

And  so  Isobel  wrote.  She  was  in  the  habit  of  writing 
once  every  half-year  to  her  uncle,  who  had  told  her  that 
he  wished  her  to  do  so,  and  that  people  out  abroad  had 
great  pleasure  in  letters  from  England.  Hitherto  she  had 
only  written  about  her  school  life,  and  this  letter  caused 
her  a  great  deal  of  trouble. 

It  answered  its  purpose.  Captain  Hannay  had  no  liking 
either  for  his  sister-in-law  or  his  eldest  niece,  and  had, 
when  he  was  with  them,  been  struck  with  the  neglect  with 
which  the  little  boy  was  treated.  Isobel  had  taken  great 
pains  not  to  say  anything  that  would  show  she  considered 
that  Robert  was  harshly  treated;  but  had  simply  said  that 
she  heard  there  were  schools  where  little  boys  like  him 
could  be  taught,  and  that  it  would  be  such  a  great  thing 
for  him,  as  it  was  very  dull  for  him  having  nothing  to  do 
all  day.  But  Captain  Hannay  read  through  the  lines, 
and  felt  that  it  was  a  protest  against  her  brother's  treat- 
ment, and  that  she  would  not  have  written  to  him  had  she 
not  felt  that  so  only  would  anything  be  done  for  him. 
Accordingly  he  wrote  home  to  his  sister-in-law,  saying  he 
thought  it  was  quite  time  now  that  the  boy  should  be 
placed  with  some  gentleman  who  took  a  few  lads  unfitted 
for  the  rough  life  of  an  ordinary  school.  He  should  take 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  41 

the  charges  upon  himself,  and  had  written  to  his  agent  in 
London  to  find  out  such  an  establishment,  to  make  ar- 
rangements for  Eobert  to  go  there,  and  to  send  down  one 
of  his  clerks  to  take  charge  of  him  on  the  journey.  He 
also  wrote  to  Isobel,  telling  her  what  he  had  done,  and 
blaming  himself  for  not  having  thought  of  it  before,  wind- 
ing up  by  saying:  "  I  have  not  mentioned  to  your  mother 
that  I  heard  from  you  about  it — that  is  a  little  secret  just 
as  well  to  keep  to  ourselves/' 

The  next  five  years  were  much  happier  to  Isobel,  for  the 
thought  of  her  brother  at  home  without  her  had  before 
been  constantly  on  her  mind.  It  was  a  delight  to  her 
now  to  go  home  and  to  see  the  steady  improvement  that 
took  place  in  Robert.  He  was  brighter  in  every  respect, 
and  expressed  himself  as  most  happy  where  he  was. 

As  years  went  on  he  grew  into  a  bright  and  intelligent 
boy,  though  his  health  was  by  no  means  good,  and  he 
looked  frail  and  delicate.  He  was  as  passionately  at- 
tached to  her  as  ever,  and  during  the  holidays  they  were 
never  separated;  they  stood  quite  alone,  their  mother  and 
sister  interesting  themselves  but  little  in  their  doings, 
and  they  were  allowed  to  take  long  walks  together,  and 
to  sit  in  a  rocm  by  themselves,  where  they  talked,  drew, 
painted,  and  read. 

Mrs.  Hannay  disapproved  of  Isobel  as  much  as  ever. 
"  She  is  a  most  headstrong  girl,"  she  would  lament  to  her 
friends,  "  and  is  really  quite  beyond  my  control.  I  do  not 
at  all  approve  of  the  school  she  is  at,  but  unfortunately 
my  brother-in-law,  who  is  her  guardian,  has,  under  the 
will  of  my  poor  husband,  absolute  control  in  the  matter. 
I  am  sure  poor  John  never  intended  that  he  should  be 
able  to  override  my  wishes;  but  though  I  have  written  to 
him  several  times  about  it,  he  says  that  he  sees  no  valid 
reason  for  any  change,  and  that  from  Isobel's  letters  to 
him  she  seems  very  happy  there,  and  to  be  getting  on  well. 
She  is  so  very  unlike  dear  Helena,  and  even  when  at  home 
I  see  but  little  of  her;  she  is  completely  wrapped  up  in  her 
unfortunate  brother.  Of  course  I  don't  blame  her  for 
that,  but  it  is  not  natural  that  a  girl  her  age  should  care 
nothing  for  pleasures  or  going  out  or  the  things  natural 
to  young  people.  Yes,  she  is  certainly  improving  in  ap- 


42  RUJUB,  THE  JDQGLER. 

pearance,  and  if  she  would  bat  take  some  little  pains 
about  her  dress  would  be  really  very  presentable/' 

But  her  mother's  indifference  disturbed  Isobel  but  little. 
She  was  perfectly  happy  with  her  brother  when  at  home, 
and  very  happy  at  school,  where  she  was  a  general  favor- 
ite. She  was  impulsive,  high-spirited,  and  occasionally 
gave  Miss  Virtue  some  trouble,  but  her  disposition  was 
frank  and  generous,  there  was  not  a  tinge  of  selfishness 
in  her  disposition,  and  while  she  was  greatly  liked  by  girls 
of  her  own  age,  she  was  quite  adored  by  little  ones. 

The  future  that  she  always  pictured  to  herself  was  a 
little  cottage  with  a  bright  garden  in  the  suburbs  of 
London,  where  she  and  Robert  could  live  together — she 
would  go  out  as  a  daily  governess;  Robert,  who  was  learn- 
ing to  play  the  organ,  would,  she  hoped,  get  a  post  as 
organist.  Not,  of  course,  for  the  sake  of  the  salary,  for 
her  earnings,  and  the  interest  of  the  thousand  pounds 
that  would  be  hers  when  she  came  of  age,  would  be 
sufficient  for  them  both,  but  as  an  amusement  for  him, 
and  to  give  him  a  sense  of  independence. 

But  when  she  was  just  seventeen,  and  was  looking  for- 
ward to  the  time  when  she  would  begin  to  carry  her  plan 
into  effect,  a  terrible  blow  came.  She  heard  from  her 
mother  that  Robert  was  dead. 

"  It  is  a  sad  blow  for  us  all,"  Mrs.  Hannay  wrote,  "  but, 
as  you  know,  he  has  never  been  strong;  still,  we  had  no 
idea  that  anything  serious  ailed  him  until  we  heard  a  fort- 
night since  he  was  suffering  from  a  violent  cough  and  had 
lost  strength  rapidly.  A  week  later  we  heard  that  the 
doctors  were  of  opinion  it  was  a  case  of  sudden  consump- 
tion, and  that  the  end  was  rapidly  approaching.  I  went 
up  to  town  to  see  him,  and  found  him  even  worse  than  I 
expected,  and  was  in  no  way  surprised  when  this  morning 
I  received  a  letter  saying  that  he  had  gone.  Great  as  is 
the  blow,  one  cannot  but  feel  that,  terribly  afflicted  as  he 
was,  his  death  is,  as  far  as  he  is  concerned,  a  happy  release. 
I  trust  you  will  now  abandon  your  wild  scheme  of  teaching 
and  come  home." 

But  home  was  less  home  than  ever  to  Isobel  now,  and 
she  remained  another  six  months  at  school,  when  sh« 
received  an  important  letter  from  her  uncle. 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  43 

DEAE  ISOBEL:  When  you  first  wrote  to  me  and 
told  me  that  what  you  were  most  looking  forward  to  was 
to  make  a  home  for  your  brother,  I  own  that  it  was  a  blow 
to  me,  for  I  had  long  had  plans  of  my  own  about  you; 
however,  I  thought  your  desire  to  help  your  brother  was 
so  natural,  and  would  give  you  such  happiness  in  carrying 
it  into  effect,  that  I  at  once  fell  in  with  it  and  put  aside 
my  own  plan.  But  the  case  is  altered  now,  and  I  can  see 
no  reason  why  I  cannot  have  my  own  way.  When  I  was 
in  England  I  made  up  my  mind  that  unless  I  married, 
which  was  a  most  improbable  contingency,  I  would,  when 
you  were. old  enough,  have  you  out  to  keep  house  for  me. 
I  foresaw,  even  then,  that  your  brother  might  prove  an 
obstacle  to  this  plan.  Even  in  the  short  time  I  was  with 
you  it  was  easy  enough  to  see  that  the  charge  of  him 
would  fall  on  your  shoulders,  and  that  it  would  be  a  labor 
of  love  to  you. 

"  If  he  lived,  then,  I  felt  you  would  not  leave  him,  and 
that  you  would  be  right  in  not  doing  so,  but  even  then  it 
seemed  likely  to  me  that  he  would  not  grow  up  to  man- 
hood. From  time  to  time  I  have  been  in  correspondence 
with  the  clergyman  he  was  with,  and  learned  that  the 
doctor  who  attended  them  thought  but  poorly  of  him.  I 
had  him  taken  to  two  first-class  physicians  in  London; 
they  pronounced  him  to  be  constitutionally  weak,  and  said 
that  beyond  strengthening  medicines  and  that  sort  of 
thing  they  could  do  nothing  for  him. 

"  Therefore,  dear,  it  was  no  surprise  to  me  when  I  re- 
ceived first  your  mother's  letter  with  the  news,  and  then 
your  own  written  a  few  days  later.  When  I  answered 
that  letter  I  thought  it  as  well  not  to  say  anything  of  my 
plan,  but  by  the  time  you  receive  this  it  will  be  six  months 
since  your  great  loss,  and  you  will  be  able  to  look  at  it  in  a 
fairer  light  than  you  could  have  done  then,  and  I  do  hope 
you  will  agree  to  come  out  to  me.  Life  here  has  its 
advantages  and  disadvantages,  but  I  think  that,  especially 
for  young  people,  it  is  a  pleasant  one. 

"  I  am  getting  very  tired  of  a  bachelor's  establishment, 
and  it  will  be  a  very  great  pleasure  indeed  to  have  you 
here.  Ever  since  I  v/as  in  England  I  made  up  my  mind 
to  adopt  you  as  my  own  child.  You  are  very  like  my. 


44  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

brother  John,  and  your  letters  and  all  I  have  heard  of  yott 
show  that  you  have  grown  up  just  as  he  would  have 
wished  you  to  do.  Your  sister  Helena  is  your  mother's 
child,  and,  without  wishing  to  hurt  your  feelings,  youi 
mother  and  I  have  nothing  in  common.  I  regard  you  as 
the  only  relation  I  have  in  the  world,  and  whether  you 
come  out  or  whether  you  do  not,  whatever  I  leave  behind 
me  will  be  yours.  I  do  hope  that  you  will  at  any  rate 
come  out  for  a  time.  Later  on,  if  you  don't  like  the  life 
here,  you  can  fall  back  upon  your  own  plan. 

"  If  you  decide  to  come,  write  to  my  agent.  I  inclose 
envelope  addressed  to  him.  Tell  him  when  you  can  be 
ready.  He  will  put  you  in  the  way  of  the  people  you  had 
better  go  to  for  your  outfit,  will  pay  all  bills,  take  your 
passage,  and  so  on. 

"  Whatever  you  do,  do  not  stint  yourself.  The  people 
you  go  to  will  know  a  great  deal  better  than  you  can  do 
what  is  necessary  for  a  lady  out  here.  All  you  will  have 
to  do  will  be  to  get  measured  and  to  give  them  an  idea 
of  your  likes  and  fancies  as  to  colors  and  so  on.  They 
will  have  instructions  from  my  agent  to  furnish  you  with 
a  complete  outfit,  and  will  know  exactly  how  many  dozens 
of  everything  are  required. 

"  I  can  see  no  reason  why  you  should  not  start  within  a 
month  after  the  receipt  of  this  letter,  and  I  shall  look 
most  anxiously  for  a  letter  from  you  saying  that  you  will 
come,  and  that  you  will  start  by  a  sailing  ship  in  a  month 
at  latest  from  the  date  of  your  writing." 

Isobel  did  not  hesitate,  as  her  faith  in  her  uncle  was 
unbounded.  Next  to  her  meetings  with  her  brother,  his 
letters  had  been  her  greatest  pleasures.  He  had  always 
taken  her  part;  it  was  he  who,  at  her  request,  had  Eobert 
placed  at  school,  and  he  had  kept  her  at  Miss  Virtue's  in 
spite  of  her  mother's  complaints.  At  home  she  had  never 
felt  comfortable;  it  had  always  seemed  to  her  that  she  was 
in  the  way;  her  mother  disapproved  of  her;  while  from 
Helena  she  had  never  had  a  sisterly  word.  To  go  out 
to  India  to  see  the  wonders  she  had  read  of,  and  to  be  her 
uncle's  companion,  seemed  a  perfectly  delightful  pros- 
pect. Her  answer  to  her  uncle  was  sent  off  the  day  af  tei 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER  45 

she  received  his  letter,  and  that  day  month  she  stepped  on 
board  an  Indiaman  in  the  London  Docks. 

The  intervening  time  had  not  been  a  pleasant  one. 
Mrs.  Hannay  had  heard  from  the  Major  of  his  wishes  and 
intentions  regarding  Isobel,  and  she  was  greatly  displeased 
thereat. 

"  Why  should  he  have  chosen  you  instead  of  Helena?  " 
she  said  angrily  to  Isobel,  on  the  first  day  of  her  arrival 
home. 

"  I  suppose  because  he  thought  I  should  suit  him  bet- 
ter, mamma.  I  really  don't  see  why  you  should  be  upset 
about  it;  I  don't  suppose  Helena  would  have  liked  to  go, 
and  I  am  sure  you  would  not  have  liked  to  have  had  me 
with  you  instead  of  her.  I  should  have  thought  you 
would  have  been  pleased  I  was  off  your  hands  altogether. 
It  doesn't  seem  to  me  that  you  have  ever  been  really  glad 
to  have  me  about  you." 

"  That  has  been  entirely  your  own  fault,"  Mrs.  Hannay 
said.  "  You  have  always  been  headstrong  and  deter- 
mined to  go  your  own  way,  you  have  never  been  fit  to  be 
seen  when  anyone  came,  you  have  thwarted  me  in  every 
way." 

"  I  am  very  sorry,  mamma.  I  think  I  might  have  been 
better  if  you  had  had  a  little  more  patience  with  me,  but 
even  now  if  you  really  wish  me  to  stay  at  home  I  will  do 
so.  I  can  write  again  to  uncle  and  tell  him  that  I  have 
changed  my  mind." 

"  Certainly  not,"  Mrs.  Hannay  said.  "  Naturally  I 
should  wish  to  have  my  children  with  me,  but  I  doubt 
whether  your  being  here  would  be  for  the  happiness  of 
any  of  us,  and  besides,  I  do  not  wish  your  uncle's  money 
to  go  out  of  the  family;  he  might  take  it  into  his  head  to 
leave  it  to  a  hospital  for  black  women.  Still,  it  would 
have  been  only  right  and  proper  that  he  should  at  any 
rate  have  given  Helena  the  first  choice.  As  for  your 
instant  acceptance  of  his  offer,  without  even  consulting 
me,  nothing  can  surprise  me  in  that  way  after  your 
general  conduct  towards  me." 

However,  although  Mrs.  Hannay  declined  to  take  any 
interest  in  IsobePs  preparations,  and  continued  to  behare 
as  an  injured  person,  neither  she  nor  Helena  were  sorry; 


46  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

at  heart  for  the  arrangement  that  had  been  made.  They 
objected  very  strongly  to  Isobel's  plan  of  going  out  &s  a 
governess;  but  upon  the  other  hand,  her  presence  at  home 
would  in  many  ways  have  been  an  inconvenience.  Two 
can  make  a  better  appearance  on  a  fixed  income  than 
three  can,  and  her  presence  at  home  would  have  necessi- 
tated many  small  economies.  She  was,  too,  a  disturbing 
element;  the  others  understood  each  other  perfectly,  and 
both  felt  that  they  in  no  way  understood  Isobel.  Alto- 
gether, it  was  much  better  that  she  should  go. 

As  to  the  heirship,  Captain  Hannay  had  spoken  freely 
as  to  his  monetary  affairs  when  he  had  been  in  England 
after  his  brother's  death. 

"  My  pay  is  amply  sufficient  for  all  my  wants,"  he  said; 
"  but  everything  is  expensive  out  there,  and  I  have  had  no 
occasion  to  save.  I  have  a  few  hundred  pounds  laid  by, 
so  that  if  I  break  down,  and  am  ordered  to  Europe  at  any 
time  on  sick  leave,  I  can  live  comfortably  for  that  time; 
but,  beyond  that,  there  has  been  no  reason  why  I  should 
lay  by.  I  am  not  likely  ever  to  marry,  and  when  I  have 
served  my  full  time  my  pension  will  be  ample  for  my 
wants  in  England;  but  I  shall  do  my  best  to  help  if  help 
is  necessary.  Fortunately  the  interest  of  the  thousand 
apiece  the  girls  were  left  by  my  aunt  will  help  your 
income.  When  it  is  necessary  to  do  anything  for  llobert, 
poor  lad,  I  will  take  that  expense  on  myself." 

"  I  thought  all  Indians  came  home  with  lots  of  money," 
Mrs.  Hannay  said  complainingly. 

"  Not  the  military.  We  do  the  fighting,  and  get  fairly 
paid  for  it.  The  civilians  get  five  times  as  highly  paid, 
and  run  no  risks  whatever.  Why  it  should  be  so  no  one 
has  ever  attempted  to  explain;  but  there  it  is,  sister." 

Mrs.  Hannay,  therefore,  although  she  complained  of 
the  partiality  shown  to  Isobel,  was  well  aware  that  the 
Major's  savings  could  amount  to  no  very  great  sum; 
although,  in  nine  years,  with  higher  rank  and  better  pay, 
he  might  have  added  a  good  bit  to  the  little  store  of  which 
he  had  spoken  to  her. 

When,  a  week  before  the  vessel  sailed,  Dr.  Wade 
.appeared  with  a  letter  he  had  received  from  the  Major, 
asking  him  to  take  charge  of  Isobel  on  the  voyage,  Mrs. 


RVJUB,   TEE  JUGGLER.  47 

Hannay  conceived  a  violent  objection  to  him.  He  had, 
in  fact",  been  by  no  means  pleased  with  the  commission, 
and  had  arrived  in  an  unusually  aggressive  and  snappish 
humor.  He  cut  short  Mrs.  Hannay's  well-turned 
sentences  ruthlessly,  and  aggrieved  her  by  remarking  on 
Helena's  want  of  color,  and  recommending  plenty  of 
walking  exercise  taken  at  a  brisk  pace,  and  more  ease  and 
comfort  in  the  matter  of  dress. 

"  Yonr  daughter's  lungs  have  no  room  to  play,  madam," 
he  said;  "  her  heart  is  compressed.  No  one  can  expect  to 
be  healthy  under  such  circumstances." 

"  I  have  my  own  medical  attendant,  Dr.  Wade,"  Mrs. 
Hannay  said  decidedly. 

"  No  doubt,  madam,  no  doubt.  All  I  can  say  is,  if  his 
recommendations  are  not  the  same  as  mine,  he  must  be  a 
downright  fool.  Very  well,  Miss  Hannay,  I  think  we 
understand  each  other;  I  shall  be  on  board  by  eleven 
o'clock,  and  shall  keep  a  sharp  lookout  for  you.  Don't  be 
later  than  twelve;  she  will  warp  out  of  the  dock  by  one  at 
latest,  and  if  you  miss  that  your  only  plan  will  be  to  take 
the  train  down  to  Tilbury,  and  hire  a  boat  there." 

"  I  shall  be  in  time,  sir,"  Isobel  said. 

"  Well,  I  hope  you  will,  but  my  experience  of  women  is 
pretty  extensive,  and  I  have  scarcely  met  one  who  could 
be  relied  upon  to  keep  an  appointment  punctually. 
Don't  laden  yourself  more  than  you  can  help  with  little 
bags,  and  parcels,  and  bundles  of  all  kinds;  I  expect  you 
will  be  three  or  four  in  a  cabin,  and  you  will  find  that 
there  is  no  room  for  litter.  Take  the  things  you  will 
require  at  first  in  one  or  two  flat  trunks  which  will  stow 
under  your  berth;  once  a  week  or  so,  if  the  weather  is  fine, 
you  will  be  able  to  get  at  your  things  in  the  hold.  Do  try 
if  possible  to  pack  all  the  things  that  you  are  likely  to 
want  to  get  at  during  the  voyage  in  one  trunk,  and  have 
a  star  or  any  mark  you  like  painted  on  that  trunk  with 
your  name,  then  there  will  be  no  occasion  for  the  sailors 
to  haul  twenty  boxes  upon  deck.  Be  sure  you  send  all 
your  trunks  on  board,  except  those  you  want  in  your 
cabin,  two  days  before  she  sails.  Do  you  think  you  can 
remember  all  that?" 

« I  think  so,  Dr.  Wade." 


48  RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER. 

u  Very  well  then,  I'm  off/'  and  the  Doctor  shook  hands 
•with  Isobel,  nodded  to  Mrs.  Hannay  and  Helena,  and 
hurried  away. 

"  What  a  perfectly  detestable  little  man!"  Mrs.  Hannay 
exclaimed,  as  the  door  closed  over  him.  "  Your  uncle 
must  have  been  out  of  his  senses  to  select  such  an  odious 
person  to  look  after  you  on  the  voyage.  I  really  pity  you, 
Isobel." 

"  I  have  no  doubt  he  is  very  much  nicer  than  he  seems, 
mamma.  Uncle  said,  you  know,  in  his  letter  last  week, 
that  he  had  written  to  Dr.  Wade  to  look  after  me,  if,  as  he 
thought  probable,  he  might  be  coming  out  in  the  same 
ship.  He  said  that  he  was  a  little  brusque  in  his  manner, 
but  that  he  was  a  general  favorite,  and  one  of  the  kindest 
hearted  of  men." 

"  A  little  brusque,"  Mrs.  Hannay  repeated  scornfully. 
"If  he  is  only  considered  a  little  brusque  in  India,  all  I 
can  say  is  society  must  be  in  a  lamentable  state  out 
there." 

"  Uncle  says  he  is  a  great  shikari,  and  has  probably 
killed  more  tigers  than  any  man  in  India." 

"  I  really  don't  see  that  that  is  any  recommendation 
whatever,  Isobel,  although  it  might  be  if  you  were  likely 
to  encounter  tigers  on  board  ship.  However,  I  am  not 
surprised  that  your  opinion  differs  from  mine;  we  very 
seldom  see  matters  in  the  same  light.  I  only  hope  you 
may  be  right  and  I  may  be  wrong,  for  otherwise  the 
journey  is  not  likely  to  be  a  very  pleasant  one  for  you; 
personally,  I  would  almost  as  soon  have  a  Bengal  tiger 
loose  about  the  ship  than  such  a  very  rude,  unmannerly 
person  as  Dr.  Wade." 

Mrs.  Hannay  and  Helena  accompanied  Isobel  to  the 
Docks,  and  went  on  board  ship  with  her. 

The  Doctor  received  them  at  the  gangway.  He  was  in 
a  better  temper,  for  the  fact  that  he  was  on  the  point  of 
starting  for  India  again  had  put  him  in  high  spirits.  He 
escorted  the  party  below  and  saw  that  they  got  lunch, 
showed  Isobel  which  was  her  cabin,  introduced  her  to 
two  or  three  ladies  of  his  acquaintance,  and  made  himself 
so  generally  pleasant  that  even  Mrs.  Hannay  was  molli- 
fied. 


RUJUB,   THE  JUOOLER.  49 

As  soon  as  luncheon  was  over  the  bell  was  rung,  and  the 
partings  were  hurriedly  got  through,  as  the  pilot  an- 
nounced that  the  tide  was  slackening  nearly  half  an  hour 
before  its  time,  and  that  it  was  necessary  to  get  the  ship 
out  of  dock  at  once. 

"  Now,  Miss  Hannay,  if  you  will  take  my  advice/'  the 
Doctor  said,  as  soon  as  the  ship  was  fairly  in  the  stream, 
"  you  will  go  below,  get  out  all  the  things  you  will  want 
from  your  boxes,  and  get  matters  tidy  and  comfortable. 
In  the  first  place,  it  will  do  you  good  to  be  busy;  and  in 
the  second  place,  there  is  nothing  like  getting  everything 
ship-shape  in  the  cabin  the  very  first  thing  after  starting, 
then  you  are  ready  for  rough  weather  or  anything  else 
that  may  occur.  I  have  got  you  a  chair.  I  thought  that 
very  likely  you  would  not  think  of  it,  and  a  passenger 
without  a  chair  of  her  own  is  a  most  forlorn  creature,  I 
can  tell  you.  When  you  have  done  down  below  you  will 
£nd  me  somewhere  aft;  if  you  should  not  do  so,  look  out 
for  a  chair  with  your  own  name  on  it  and  take  possession 
of  it,  but  I  think  you  are  sure  to  see  me." 

Before  they  had  been  a  fortnight  at  sea  Isobel  came  to 
like  the  Doctor  thoroughly.  He  knew  many  of  the  pas- 
sengers on  board  the  Byculla,  and  she  had  soon  many 
acquaintances.  She  was  amused  at  the  description  that 
the  Doctor  gave  her  of  some  of  the  people  to  whom  he 
introduced  her. 

"  I  am  going  to  introduce  you  to  that  woman  in  the 
severely  plain  cloak  and  ugly  bonnet.  She  is  the  wife  of 
the  Eesident  of  Rajputana.  I  knew  her  when  her  hus- 
band was  a  Collector." 

"A  Collector,  Dr.  Wade;  what  did  he  collect?" 

"  Well,  my  dear,  he  didn't  collect,  taxes  or  water-rates  or 
anything  of  that  sort.  A  Collector  is  a  civil  functionary, 
and  frequently  an  important  one.  I  used  to  attend  her 
at  one  time  when  we  were  in  cantonments  at  Bhurtpore, 
where  her  husband  was  stationed  at  that  time.  I  pulled 
a  tooth  out  for  her  once,  and  she  halloaed  louder  than 
any  woman  I  ever  heard.  I  don't  mean  to  say,  my  dear, 
that  woman  holloa  any  louder  than  men;  on  the  contrary, 
they  bear  pain  a  good  deal  better,  but  she  was  an  excep- 
tion. She  was  twelve  years  younger  then,  and  used  to 


50  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

dress  a  good  deal  more  than  she  does  now.  That  cloak 
and  bonnet  are  meant  to  convey  to  the  rest  of  the  pas- 
sengers the  fact  that  there  is  no  occasion  whatever  for  a 
person  of  her  importance  to  attend  to  such  petty  matters 
as  dress. 

"  She  never  mentions  her  husband's  name  without  say- 
ing, '  My  husband,  the  Resident/  but  for  all  that  she  is  a 
kind-hearted  woman — a  very  kind-hearted  woman.  I 
pulled  a  child  of  hers  through  who  was  down  with  fever 
at  Bhurtpore;  he  had  a  very  close  shave  of  it,  and  she  has 
never  forgotten  it.  She  greeted  me  when  she  came  on 
board  almost  with  tears  in  her  eyes  at  the  thought  of  that 
time.  I  told  her  I  had  a  young  lady  under  my  charge, 
and  she  said  that  she  would  be  very  pleased  to  do  anything 
she  could  for  you.  She  is  a  stanch  friend  is  Mrs.  Resi- 
dent, and  you  will  find  her  useful  before  you  get  to  the 
end  of  the  voyage." 

The  lady  received  Isobel  with  genuine  kindness,  and 
took  her  very  much  under  her  wing  during  the  voyage, 
and  Isobel  received  no  small  advantage  from  her  advice 
and  protection. 

Her  own  good  sense,  however,  and  the  earnest  life  she 
had  led  at  school  and  with  her  brother  at  home,  would 
have  sufficed  her  even  without  this  guardianship  and  that 
of  the  Doctor.  There  was  a  straightforward  frankness 
about  her  that  kept  men  from  talking  nonsense  to  her. 
A  compliment  she  simply  laughed  at,  an  attempt  at  flat- 
tery made  her  angry,  and  the  Doctor  afterwards  declared 
to  her  uncle  he  would  not  have  believed  that  the  guardian- 
ship of  a  girl  upon  the  long  Indian  voyage  could  possibly 
have  caused  him  so  little  trouble  and  annoyance. 

"  When  I  read  your  letter,  Major,  my  hair  stood  on 
end,  and  if  my  leave  had  not  been  up  I  should  have 
canceled  my  passage  and  come  by  the  next  ship;  and 
indeed  when  I  went  down  to  see  her  I  had  still  by  no 
means  made  up  my  mind  as  to  whether  I  would  not  take 
my  chance  of  getting  out  in  time  by  the  next  vessel. 
However,  I  liked  her  appearance,  and,  as  I  have  said,  it 
turned  out  excellently,  and  I  should  not  mind  making 
another  voyage  in  charge  of  her." 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER.  51 


CHAPTER  V. 

Two  days  after  his  arrival  at  Cawnpore  Dr.  Wade 
moved  into  quarters  of  his  own. 

"  I  like  Dr.  Wade  very  much  indeed,  you  know,  uncle, 
still  I  am  glad  to  have  you  all  to  myself  and  to  settle  down 
into  regular  ways." 

"  Yes,  we  have  got  to  learn  to  know  each  other,  Isobel." 

"  Do  you  think  so,  uncle?  Why,  it  seems  to  me  that  I 
know  all  about  you,  just  the  same  as  if  we  had  always 
been  together,  and  I  am  sure  I  always  told  you  all  about 
myself,  even  when  I  was  bad  at  school  and  got  into 
scrapes,  because  you  said  particularly  that  you  liked  me 
to  tell  you  everything,  and  did  not  want  to  know  only  the ' 
good  side  of  me." 

"  Yes,  that  is  so,  my  dear,  and  no  doubt  I  have  a  fair 
idea  as  to  what  are  your  strong  points  and  what  are  your 
weak  ones,  but  neither  one  or  the  other  affect  greatly  a 
person's  ordinary  everyday  character.  It  is  the  little 
things,  the  trifles,  the  way  of  talking,  the  way  of  listening, 
the  amount  of  sympathy  shown,  and  so  on,  that  make  a 
man  or  woman  popular.  People  do  not  ask  whether  he 
or  she  may  be  morally  sleeping  volcanoes,  who,  if  fairly 
roused,  might  slay  a  rival  or  burn  a  city;  they  simply  look 
at  the  surface — is  a  man  or  a  woman  pleasant,  agreeable, 
easily  pleased,  ready  to  take  a  share  in  making  things  go, 
to  show  a  certain  amount  of  sympathy  in  other  people's 
pleasures  or  troubles — in  fact,  to  form  a  pleasant  unit  of 
the  society  of  a  station? 

"  So  in  the  house  you  might  be  the  most  angelic  temper 
in  the  world,  but  if  you  wore  creaky  boots,  had  a  habit  of 
slamming  doors,  little  tricks  of  giggling  or  fidgeting  with 
your  hands  or  feet,  you  would  be  an  unpleasant  com- 
panion, for  you  would  be  constantly  irritating  one  in 
small  matters.  Of  course,  it  is  just  the  same  thing  with 
your  opinion  of  me.  You  have  an  idea  that  I  am  a  good 
enough  sort  of  fellow,  because  I  have  done  my  best  to 
enable  you  to  carry  out  your  plans  and  wishes,  but  that 
has  nothing  to  do  at  all  with  my  character  as  a  man  to 
live  with.  Till  we  saw  each  other,  when  you  got  out  of 


52  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

the  gharry,  we  really  knew  nothing  whatever  of  eaefc 
other." 

Isobel  shook  her  head  decidedly. 

"  Nothing  will  persuade  me  that  I  didn't  know  every- 
thing about  you,  uncle.  You  are  just  exactly  what  I 
knew  you  would  be  in  look,  and  voice,  in  manner  and  ways 
and  everything.  Of  course,  it  is  partly  from  what  I 
remember,  but  I  really  did  not  see  a  great  deal  of  you  in 
those  days;  it  is  from  your  letters,  I  think,  entirely  that  I 
knew  all  about  you,  and  exactly  what  you  were.  Do  you 
mean  to  say  that  I  am  not  just  what  you  thought  I  should 
be?" 

"  Well,  not  so  clearly  as  all  that,  Isobel.  Of  course  you 
were  only  a  little  child  when  I  saw  you,  and  except  that 
you  had  big  brown  eyes,  and  long  eyelashes,  I  confess  that 
it  struck  me  that  you  were  rather  a  plain  little  thing,  and 
I  do  not  think  that  your  mother's  letters  since  conveyed 
to  my  mind  the  fact  that  there  had  been  any  material 
change  since.  Therefore  I  own  that  you  are  personally 
quite  different  from  what  I  had  expected  to  find  you.  I 
had  expected  to  find  you,  I  think,  rather  stumpy  in  figure, 
and  square  in  build,  with  a  very  determined  and  business- 
like manner." 

"  Nonsense,  uncle,  you  could  not  have  expected  that." 

"  Well,  my  dear,  I  did,  and  you  see  I  find  I  was  utterly 
wrong." 

"But  you  are  not  discontented,  uncle?"  Isobel  asked, 
with  a  smile. 

"No,  my  dear,  but  perhaps  not  quite  so  contented  as 
you  may  think  I  ought  to  be." 

"Why  is  that,  uncle?" 

"  Well,  my  dear,  if  you  had  been  what  I  had  pictured 
you,  I  might  have  had  you  four  or  five  years  to  myself. 
Possibly  you  might  even  have  gone  home  with  me,  to 
keep  house  for  me  in  England,  when  I  retire.  As  it  is 
now,  I  give  myself  six  months  at  the  outside." 

"What  nonsense,  uncle!  You  don't  suppose  I  am 
going  to  fall  in  love  with  the  first  man  who  presents  him- 
self? Why,  everyone  says  the  sea-voyage  is  a  most  trying 
time,  and,  you  see,  I  came  through  that  quite  scathiess. 
Besides,  uncle,"  and  she  laughed,  "there  is  safety  in 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  53 

multitude,  and  I  think  that  a  girl  would  be  far  more 
likely  to  fall  in  love  in  some  country  place,  where  she  only 
saw  one  or  two  men,  than  where  there  are  numbers  of 
them.  Besides,  it  seems  to  me  that  in  India  girl  cannot 
feel  that  she  is  chosen,  as  it  were,  from  among  other  girls, 
as  she  would  do  at  home.  There  are  so  few  girls,  and  so 
many  men  here,  there  must  be  a  sort  of  feeling  that  you 
are  only  appreciated  because  there  is  nothing  better  to 
be  had. 

"But,  of  course,  uncle,  you  can  understand  that  the 
idea  of  love-making  and  marrying  never  entered  my  head 
at  all  until  I  went  on  board  a  ship.  As  you  know,  I 
always  used  to  think  that  Eobert  and  I  would  live  to- 
gether, and  I  am  quite  sure  that  I  should  never  have  left 
him  if  he  had  lived.  If  I  had  stopped  in  England  I 
should  have  done  the  work  I  had  trained  myself  to  do, 
and  it  might  have  been  years  and  years,  and  perhaps 
never,  before  anyone  might  have  taken  a  fancy  to  me,  or 
I  to  him.  It  seems  strange,  and  I  really  don't  think 
pleasant,  uncle,  for  everyone  to  take  it  for  granted  that 
because  a  girl  comes  out  to  India  she  is  a  candidate  for 
marriage.  I  think  it  is  degrading,  uncle." 

"  The  Doctor  was  telling  me  yesterday  that  you  had 
some  idea  of  that  sort,"  the  Major  said,  with  a  slight 
smile,  "  and  I  think  girls  often  start  wi  th  that  sort  of 
idea.  But  it  is  like  looking  on  at  a  game.  You  don't  feel 
interested  in  it  until  you  begin  to  play  at  it.  Well,  the 
longer  you  entertain  those  ideas  the  better  I  shall  be 
pleased,  Isobel.  I  only  hope  that  you  may  long  remain 
of  the  same  mind,  and  that  when  your  time  does  come 
your  choice  will  be  a  wise  one." 

There  could  be  no  doubt  that  the  Major's  niece  was  a 
great  success  in  the  regiment.  Richards  and  Wilson, 
two  lads  who  had  joined  six  months  before,  succumbed  at 
once,  and  mutual  animosity  succeeded  the  close  friend- 
ship they  had  hitherto  entertained  for  each  other.  Trav- 
ers,  the  Senior  Captain,  a  man  who  had  hitherto  been 
noted  for  his  indifference  to  the  charms  of  female  society, 
went  KO  far  as  to  admit  that  Miss  Hannay  was  a  very  nice, 
unaffected  girl.  Mrs.  Doolan  was  quite  enthusiastic  about 
her. 


54  RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER. 

"  It  is  very  lucky,  Jim/'  she  said  to  her  husband,  "  that 
you  were  a  sober  and  respected  married  man  before  she 
came  out,  and  that  I  am  installed  here  as  your  lawful  and 
wedded  wife  instead  of  being  at  Ballycrogin  with  only  an 
engagement  ring  on  my  finger.  I  know  your  susceptible 
nature;  you  would  have  fallen  in  love  with  her,  and  she 
would  not  have  had  you,  and  we  should  both  of  us  have 
been  miserable." 

"How  do  you  know  she  wouldn't  have  had  me,  Norah?" 

"  Because,  my  dear,  she  will  be  able  to  pick  and  choose 
just  where  she  likes;  and  though  no  one  recognizes  your 
virtues  more  than  I  do,  a  company  in  an  Indian  regiment 
is  hardly  as  attractive  as  a  Residency  or  Lieutenant- 
Governorship.  But  seriously,  she  is  a  dear  girl,  and  as 
yet  does  not  seem  to  have  the  least  idea  how  pretty  she 
is.  How  cordially  some  of  them  will  hate  her!  I  antici- 
pate great  fun  in  looking  on.  I  am  out  of  all  that  sort 
of  thing  myself." 

"  That  is  news  to  me,  Norah;  I  think  you  are  just  as 
fond  of  a  quiet  flirtation  as  you  used  to  be." 

"Just  of  a  very  little  one,  Jim;  fortunately  not  more.  So 
I  can  look  on  complacently;  but  even  I  have  suffered. 
Why,  for  weeks  not  a  day  has  passed  without  young 
Bichards  dropping  in  for  a  chat,  and  when  he  came  in 
yesterday  he  could  talk  about  nothing  but  Miss  Hannay, 
until  I  shut  him  up  by  telling  him  it  was  extremely  bad 
form  to  talk  to  one  lady  about  another.  The  boy  colored 
up  till  I  almost  laughed  in  his  face;  in  fact,  I  believe  I  did 
laugh." 
•  "  That  I  will  warrant  you  did,  Norah." 

"  I  could  not  help  it,  especially  when  he  assured  me  he 
was  perfectly  serious  about  Miss  Hannay." 

"  You  did  not  encourage  him,  I  hope,  Norah." 

"No;  I  told  him  the  Colonel  set  his  face  against 
married  subalterns,  and  that  he  would  injure  himself 
seriously  in  his  profession  if  he  were  to  think  of  such  a 
thing,  and  as  I  knew  he  had  nothing  but  his  pay,  that 
would  be  fatal  to  him." 

Captain  Doolan  went  off  into  a  burst  of  laughter. 
.  "And  he  took  it  all  in,  Norah?    He  did  not  see  that 
you  were  humbugging  him  altogether?  " 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  55 

"  Not  a  bit  of  it.  They  are  very  amusing,  these  boys, 
Jim.  I  was  really  quite  sorry  for  Eichards,  but  I  told 
him  he  would  get  over  it  in  time,  for  as  far  as  I  could 
learn  you  had  been  just  as  bad  thirty-three  times  before 
I  finally  took  pity  on  you,  and  that  I  only  did  it  then 
because  you  were  wearing  away  with  your  troubles.  I 
advised  him  to  put  the  best  face  he  could  on  it,  for  that 
Miss  Hannay  would  be  the  last  person  to  be  pleased,  if  he 
were  to  be  going  about  with  a  face  as  long  as  if  he  had 
just  come  from  his  aunt's  funeral." 

The  race-meeting  came  off  three  weeks  after  Miss 
Hannay  arrived  at  Cawnpore.  She  had  been  to  several 
dinners  and  parties  by  this  time,  and  began  to  know  most 
of  the  regular  residents. 

The  races  served  as  an  excuse  for  people  to  come  in 
from  all  the  stations  round.  Men  came  over  from  Luck- 
now,  Agra,  and  Allahabad,  and  from  many  a  little  outly- 
ing station;  every  bungalow  in  the  cantonment  was  filled 
with  guests,  and  tents  were  erected  for  the  accommoda- 
tion of  the  overflow. 

Several  of  the  officers  of  the  103d  had  horses  and 
ponies  entered  in  the  various  races.  There  was  to  be  a 
dance  at  the  club  on  the  evening  of  the  second  day  of  the 
races,  and  a  garden  party  at  the  General's  on  that  of  the 
first.  Eichards  and  Wilson  had  both  ponies  entered  for 
the  race  confined  to  country  tats  which  had  never  won  a 
race,  and  both  had  endeavored  to  find  without  success 
what  was  Isobel's  favorite  color. 

"But  you  must  have  some  favorite  color?"  Wilson 
arged. 

"  Why  must  I,  Mr.  Wilson?  One  thing  is  suitable  for 
one  thing  and  one  another,  and  I  always  like  a  color  that 
is  suitable  for  the  occasion." 

"  But  what  color  are  you  going  to  wear  at  the  races, 
Miss  Hannay?" 

"Well,  you  see,  I  have  several  dresses,"  Isobel  said 
gravely,  "  and  I  cannot  say  until  the  morning  arrives 
which  I  may  wear;  it  will  depend  a  good  deal  how  I  feel. 
Besides,  I  might  object  to  your  wearing  the  same  color  as 
I  do.  You  remember  in  the  old  times,  knights,  when 
they  entered  the  lists,  wore  the  favors  that  ladies  had 


5*  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

given  them.  Now  I  have  no  idea  of  giving  you  a  favor. 
You  have  done  nothing  worthy  of  it.  When  you  have 
won  the  Victoria  Cross,  and  distinguished  yourself  by 
some  extraordinarily  gallant  action,  it  will  be  quite  time 
to  think  about  it." 

"  You  see  one  has  to  send  one's  color  in  four  days 
beforehand,  in  time  for  them  to  print  it  on  the  card,"  the 
lad  said;  "  and  besides,  one  has  to  get  a  jacket  and  cap 
made." 

"Biit  you  don't  reflect  that  it  is  quite  possible  your 
pony  won't  win  after  all,  and  supposing  that  I  had  colors, 
I  certainly  should  not  like  to  see  them  come  in  last  in  the 
race.  Mr.  Richards  has  been  asking  me  just  the  same 
thing,  and,  of  course,  I  gave  him  the  same  answer.  I  can 
only  give  you  the  advice  I  gave  him." 

"  What  was  that,  Miss  Hannay?  "  Wilson  asked  eagerly. 

"  Well,  you  see,  it  is  not  very  long  since  either  of  yon 
left  school,  so  I  should  think  the  best  thing  for  you  to 
wear  are  your  school  colors,  whatever  they  were." 

And  with  a  merry  laugh  at  his  look  of  discomfiture, 
Isobel  turned  away  and  joined  Mrs.  Doolan  and  two  or 
three  other  ladies  who  were  sitting  with  her. 

"  There  is  one  comfort,"  Mrs.  Doolan  was  just  saying, 
"  in  this  country,  when  there  is  anything  coming  off, 
there  is  no  occasion  to  be  anxious  as  to  the  weather;  one 
knows  that  it  will  be  hot,  fine,  and  dusty.  One  can  wear 
one's  gayest  dress  without  fear.  In  Ireland  one  ner'er 
knew  whether  one  wanted  muslin  or  waterproof  until  the 
morning  came,  and  even  then  one  could  not  calculate 
with  any  certainty  how  it  would  be  by  twelve  o'clock. 
This  '.vill  be  your  first  Indian  festivity,  Miss  Hannay." 

"  Do  the  natives  come  much?  " 

"  I  should  think  so!  All  Cawnpore  will  turn  out,  and 
we  shall  ha\e  the  Lord  of  Bithoor  and  any  number  of 
Talookdars  and  Zemindars  with  their  suites.  A  good  many 
of  them  will  have  horses  entered,  and  they  have  some  good 
ones  if  they  could  but  ride  them.  The  Rajah  of  Bithoor 
is  a  most  important  personage.  He  talks  English  very 
well,  and  gives  splendid  entertainments.  He  is  a  most 
polite  gentleman,  and  is  always  over  here  if  there  is  any- 
thing going  on.  The  general  idea  is  that  he  has  set  his 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER.  tf 

mind  on  having  an  English  wife,  the  only  difficulty  being 
our  objection  to  polygamy.  He  has  every  other  advan- 
tage, and  his  wife  would  have  jewels  that  a  queen  might 
envy." 

Isobel  laughed.  "I  don't  think  jewels  would  count 
for  much  in  my  ideas  of  happiness." 

"  It  is  not  so  much  the  jewels,  my  dear,  in  themselves, 
but  the  envy  they  would  excite  in  every  other  woman." 

"  I  don't  think  I  can  understand  that  feeling,  Mrs. 
Doolan.  I  can  understand  that  there  might  be  a  satis- 
faction in  being  envied  for  being  the  happiest  woman, 
or  the  most  tastefully  dressed  woman,  or  even  the 
prettiest  woman,  though  that  after  all  is  a  mere  accident, 
but  not  for  having  the  greatest  number  of  bright  stones, 
however  valuable.  I  don't  think  the  most  lovely  set  of 
diamonds  ever  seen  would  give  me  as  much  satisfaction  as 
a  few  choice  flowers." 

"  Ah,  but  that  is  because  you  are  quite  young,"  Mrs. 
Doolan  said.  "Eve  was  tempted  by  an  apple,  but  Eve 
had  not  lived  long.  You  see,  an  apple  will  tempt  a  child, 
and  flowers  a  young  girl.  Diamonds  are  the  bait  of  a 
woman." 

"  You  would  not  care  for  diamonds  yourself,  Mrs. 
Doolan?" 

**  I  don't  know,  my  dear;  the  experiment  was  never 
tried — bog  oak  and  Irish  diamonds  have  been  more  in  my 
line.  Jim's  pay  has  never  run  to  diamonds,  worse  luck, 
but  he  has  promised  me  that  if  he  ever  gets  a  chance  of 
looting  the  palace  of  a  native  prince  he  will  keep  a  special 
lookout  for  them  for  me.  So  far  he  has  never  had  the 
chance.  When  he  was  an  ensign  there  was  some  hard 
fighting  with  the  Sikhs,  but  nothing  of  that  sort  fell  to 
his  share.  I  often  tell  him  that  he  took  me  under  false 
pretenses  altogether.  I  had  visions  of  returning  some 
day  and  astonishing  Ballycrogin,  as  a  sort  of  begum 
covered  with  diamonds;  but  as  far  as  I  can  see  the 
children  are  the  only  jewels  that  I  am  likely  to  take 
back." 

"  And  very  nice  jewels  too,"  Isobel  said  heartily;  "  they 
are  dear  little  things,  Mrs.  Doolan,  and  worth  all  the 
diamonds  in  the  world.  I  hear,  Mrs.  Prothero,  that  your 


58  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

husband  has  a  good  chance  of  winning  the  race  for  Arabs; 
I  intend  to  wager  several  pairs  of  gloves  on  his  horse." 

"  Yes,  Seila  is  very  fast.  She  won  last  year.  But  Nana 
Sahib  has  had  the  horse  that  won  the  cup  at  Poona  last 
year,  and  is  considered  one  of  the  fastest  in  India, 
brought  across  from  Bombay.  Our  only  hope  is  that  he 
will  put  a  native  up,  and  in  that  case  we  ought  to  have  a 
fair  chance,  for  the  natives  have  no  idea  of  riding  a  wait- 
ing race,  but  go  off  at  full  speed,  and  take  it  all  out  of 
their  horse  before  the  end  of  the  race." 

"  Well,  we  must  hope  he  will,  Mrs.  Prothero;  that  seems, 
from  what  I  hear,  the  only  chance  there  is  of  the  regiment 
winning  a  prize.  So  all  our  sympathies  will  be  with  you." 

"  Hunter  and  his  wife  and  their  two  girls  are  coming," 
the  Major  said,  the  next  morning,  as  he  opened  his  letters. 

"Very  well,  uncle,  then  we  will  do  as  we  arranged. 
The  Miss  Hunters  shall  have  my  room,  and  I  will  take  the 
little  passage  room." 

"  I  am  afraid  it  will  put  you  out,  Isobel;  but  they  have 
been  here  for  the  last  two  years  at  the  race-time,  and  I  did 
not  like  not  asking  them  again." 

"  Of  course,  uncle.  It  will  make  no  difference  to  me, 
and  I  don't  require  any  very  great  space  to  apparel  my- 


"  We  must  have  dinners  for  twelve  at  least,  the  day 
before  the  races,  and  on  the  three  days  of  the  meeting." 

Isobel  looked  alarmed.  "  I  hope  you  don't  rely  on  me 
for  the  arrangements,  uncle.  At  each  of  the  four  dinners 
we  have  been  to  I  have  done  nothing  but  wonder  how  it 
was  all  done,  and  have  been  trembling  over  the  thought 
that  it  would  be  our  turn  presently.  It  seemed  a  fearful 
responsibility;  and  four,  one  after  the  other,  is  an  appal- 
ling prospect." 

"Eumzan  will  see  to  it  all,  my  dear*.  He  has  always 
managed  very  well  before.  I  will  talk  it  over  with  him: 
besides,  these  will  not  be  like  regular  set  dinner-parties. 
At  race-meetings  everyone  keeps  pretty  nearly  open 
house.  One  does  not  ask  any  of  the  people  at  the  station; 
they  have  all  their  own  visitors.  One  trusts  to  chance  to 
fill  up  the  table,  and  one  never  finds  any  difficulty  about 
it.  It  is  lucky  I  got  up  a  regular  stock  of  china,  and  so 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER.  5& 

on,  in  anticipation  of  your  coming.  Of  course,  as  a 
bachelor,  I  have  not  been  a  dinner-giver,  except  on 
occasions  like  this,  when  nobody  expects  anything  like 
state,  and  things  are  conducted  to  a  certain  extent  in  pic- 
nic fashion.  I  have  paid  off  my  dinner  obligations  by 
having  men  to  mess  or  the  club.  However,  I  will  consult 
Kumzan,  and  we  will  have  a  regular  parade  of  our 
materials,  and  you  shall  iaspect  our  resources.  If  there 
is  anything  in  the  way  of  flower-vases  or  center-dishes,  or 
anything  of  that  sort,  you  think  requisite,  we  must  get 
them.  Jestonjee  has  got  a  good  stock  of  all  that  sort  of 
thing.  As  to  tablecloths  and  napkins  and  so  on,  I  had  a 
supply  with  the  china,  so  you  will  find  that  all  right.  Of 
course  you  will  get  plenty  of  flowers;  they  are  the  princi- 
pal things,  after  all,  towards  making  the  table  look  well. 
You  have  had  no  experience  in  arranging  them,  I 
suppose?" 

"  None  at  all,  uncle;  I  never  arranged  a  vase  of  flowers 
in  my  life." 

"  Then  I  tell  you  what  you  had  better  do,  Isobel.  You 
coax  the  Doctor  into  coming  in  and  undertaking  it.  He 
is  famous  in  that  way.  He  always  has  the  decoration  of 
the  mess-table  on  grand  occasions;  and  when  we  give  a 
dance  the  flowers  and  decorations  are  left  to  him  as  a 
matter  of  course." 

"  I  will  ask  him,  uncle;  but  he  is  the  last  man  in  the 
world  I  should  have  thought  of  in  connection  with  flowers 
and  decorations." 

"He  is  a  many-sided  man,  my  dear;  he  paints  excel- 
lently, and  has  wonderful  taste  in  the  way  of  dress.  I  can 
assure  you  that  no  lady  in  the  regiment  is  quite  satisfied 
with  a  new  costume  until  it  has  received  the  stamp  of  the 
Doctor's  approval.  When  we  were  stationed  at  Delhi 
four  years  ago  there  was  a  fancy  ball,  and  people  who  were 
judges  of  that  sort  of  thing  said  that  they  had  never  seen 
so  pretty  a  collection  of  dresses,  and  I  should  think  fully 
half  of  them  were  manufactured  from  the  Doctor's 
sketches." 

"  I  remember  now,"  Isobel  laughed,  "  that  he  was  very 
sarcastic  on  board  ship  as  to  the  dresses  of  some  of  the 
people,  but  I  thought  it  was  only  his  way  of  grumbling  at 


60  RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER. 

things  in  general,  though  certainly  I  generally  agreed  with 
him.  He  told  me  one  day  that  my  taste  evidently  in- 
clined to  the  dowdy,  but  you  see  I  wore  half-mourning 
until  I  arrived  out  here." 

The  Doctor  himself  dropped  in  an  hour  later. 

"I  shall  be  glad,  Doctor,  if  you  will  dine  with  us  as 
often  as  you  can  during  the  four  days  of  the  races," 
Major  Hannay  said.  "  Of  course,  I  shall  be  doing  the 
hospitable  to  people  who  come  in  from  out-stations,  and 
as  Isobel  won't  know  any  of  them,  it  will  be  a  little  trying 
to  her,  acting  for  the  first  time  in  the  capacity  of  hostess. 
As  you  know  everybody,  you  will  be  able  to  make  things 
go.  I  have  got  Hunter  and  his  wife  and  their  two  girls 
coming  in  to  stay.  I  calculate  the  table  will  hold  four- 
teen comfortably  enough.  At  any  rate,  come  first  night, 
even  if  you  can't  come  on  the  others." 

"Certainly  I  will,  Major,  if  you  will  let  me  bring 
Bathurst  in  with  me;  he  is  going  to  stay  with  me  for  the 
races." 

"  By  all  means,  Doctor;  I  like  what  I  have  seen  of  him 
very  much." 

u  Yes,  he  has  got  a  lot  in  him,"  the  Doctor  said,  "  only 
he  is  always  head  over  heels  in  work.  He  will  make  a  big 
mark  before  he  has  done.  He  is  one  of  the  few  men  out 
here  who  has  thoroughly  mastered  the  language;  he  can 
talk  to  the  natives  like  one  of  themselves,  and  under- 
stands them  so  thoroughly  that  they  are  absolutely  afraid 
to  lie  to  him,  which  is  the  highest  compliment  a  native  can 
pay  to  an  Indian  official.  It  is  very  seldom  he  comes  in 
to  this  sort  of  thing,  but  I  seized  him  the  other  day  and 
told  him  that  I  could  see  he  would  break  down  if  he  didn't 
give  himself  a  holiday,  and  I  fairly  worried  him  into  say- 
ing he  would  come  over  and  stay  for  the  races.  I  believe 
then  he  would  not  have  come  if  I  had  not  written  to  him 
that  all  the  native  swells  would  be  here,  and  it  would  be 
an  excellent  opportunity  for  him  to  talk  to  them  about 
the  establishment  of  a  school  for  the  daughters  of  the 
upper  class  of  natives;  that  is  one  of  his  fads  at  present." 

"  But  it  would  be  a  good  thing  surely,  Doctor,"  Isobel 
-aid. 

"  No  doubt,  my  dear,  no  doubt;  and  so  would  scores  of 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  Q\ 

other  things,  if  you  could  but  persuade  the  natives  so. 
But  this  is  really  one  of  the  most  impracticable  schemes 
possible,  simply  because  the  whole  of  these  unfortunate 
children  get  betrothed  when  they  are  two  or  three  years 
old,  and  are  married  at  twelve.  Even  if  all  parties  were 
agreed,  the  husband's  relations  and  the  wife's  relations 
and  everyone  else,  what  are  you  going  to  teach  a  child 
worth  knowing  before  she  gets  to  the  age  of  twelve? 
Just  enough  to  make  her  discontented  with  her  lot.  Once 
get  the  natives  to  alter  their  customs  and  to  marry  their 
women  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  and  you  may  do  something 
for  them;  but  as  long  as  they  stick  to  this  idiotic  custom 
of  marrying  them  off  when  they  are  still  children,  the  case 
is  hopeless." 

"  There  is  something  I  wanted  to  ask  you,  Doctor," 
Isobel  said.  "  You  know  this  is  the  first  time  I  have  had 
anything  to  do  with  entertaining,  and  I  know  nothing 
about  decorating  a  table.  Uncle  says  that  you  are  a  great 
hand  at  the  arrangement  of  flowers.  Would  you  mind 
seeing  to  it  for  me?  " 

The  Doctor  nodded.  "  With  pleasure,  Miss  Hannay. 
It  is  a  thing  I  enjoy.  There  is  nothing  more  lamentable 
than  to  see  the  ignorant,  and  I  may  almost  say  brutal, 
way  in  which  people  bunch  flowers  up  into  great  masses 
and  call  that  decoration.  They  might  just  as  well  bunch 
up  so  many  masses  of  bright-colored  rags.  The  shape  of 
the  flower,  its  manner  of  growth,  and  its  individuality 
are  altogether  lost,  and  the  sole  effect  produced  is  that  of 
a  confused  mass  of  color.  I  will  undertake  that  part  of 
the  business,  and  you  had  better  leave  the  buying  of  the 
flowers  to  me." 

"  Certainly,  Doctor,"  the  Major  said;  "  I  will  give  you 
carte  blanche." 

"  Well,  I  must  see  your  dinner  service,  Major,  so  that  I 
may  know  about  its  color,  and  what  you  have  got  to  put 
the  flowers  into." 

"  I  will  have  a  regular  parade  to-morrow  morning  after 
breakfast,  if  it  would  be  convenient  i^r  you  to  look  in 
then,  and  at  the  same  time  I  will  get  j7ou  to  have  a  talk 
with  Rumzan  and  the  cook.  I  am  almost  as  new  to  giv- 
ing dinner-parties  as  Isobel  is.  When  one  has  half  a 


62  RUJUB>  THE  JVGGLER. 

dozen  men  to  dine  with  one  at  the  club,  one  gives  the 
butler  notice  and  chooses  the  wine,  and  one  knows  that  it 
will  be  all  right;  but  it  is  a  very  different* thing  when  you 
have  to  go  into  the  details  yourself.  Ordinarily  I  leave 
it  entirely  to  Kumzan  and  the  cook,  and  I  am  bound  to  say 
they  do  very  well,  but  this  is  a  different  matter." 

"  We  wilktalk  it  over  with  them  together,  Major.  You 
can  seem  to  consult  me,  but  it  must  come  from  you  to 
them,  or  else  you  will  be  getting  their  backs  up.  Thank 
goodness,  Indian  servants  don't  give  themselves  the  airs 
English  ones  do;  but  human  nature  is  a  good  deal  the 
same  everywhere,  and  the  first  great  rule,  if  you  want  any 
domestic  arrangements  to  go  off  well,  is  to  keep  the  serv- 
ants in  good  temper." 

"  We  none  of  us  like  to  be  interfered  with,  Doctor." 

"  A  wise  man  is  always  ready  to  be  taught,"  the  Doctor 
said  sententiously. 

"Well,  there  are  exceptions,  Doctor.  I  remember, 
soon  after  I  joined,  a  man  blew  off  two  of  his  fingers.  A 
young  surgeon  who  was  here  wanted  to  amputate  the 
hand;  he  was  just  going  to  set  about  it  when  a  staff 
surgeon  came  in  and  said  that  it  had  better  not  be  done, 
for  that  natives  could  not  stand  amputations.  The 
young  surgeon  was  very  much  annoyed.  The  staff  sur- 
geon went  away  next  day.  There  was  a  good  deal  of 
inflammation,  and  the  young  surgeon  decided  to  ampu- 
tate. The  man  never  rallied  from  the  operation,  and 
died  next  day." 

"  I  said,  Major,  that  a  wise  man  was  always  ready  to 
listen  to  good  advice.  I  was  not  a  wise  man  in  those  days 
— I  was  a  pig-headed  young  fool.  I  thought  I  knew  all 
about  it,  and  I  was  quite  right  according  to  my  experience 
in  London  hospitals.  In  the  case  of  an  Englishman,  the 
hand  would  have  been  amputated,  and  the  man  would 
have  been  all  right  three  weeks  afterwards.  But  I  knew 
nothing  about  these  soft-hearted  Hindoos,  and  never 
dreamt  that  an  operation  which  would  be  a  trifle  to  an 
Englishman  would  be  fatal  to  one  of  them,  and  that 
simply  because,  although  they  are  plucky  enough  in  some 
respects,  they  have  no  more  heart  than  a  mouse  when 
anything  is  the  matter  with  them.  Yes,  if  it  hadn't  beea 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER.  63 

for  the  old  Colonel,  who  gave  me  a  private  hint  to  say 
nothing  about  the  affair.,  but  merely  to  put  down  in  my 
report,  '  Died  from  the  effect  of  a  gunshot  wound/  I 
should  have  got  into  a  deuce  of  a  scrape  over  that  affair. 
As  it  was,  it  only  cost  me  a  hundred  rupees  to  satisfy  the 
man's  family  and  send  them  back  to  their  native  village. 
That  was  for  years  a  standing  joke  against  me,  Miss 
Hannay;  except  your  uncle  and  the  Colonel,  there  is  no 
one  left  in  the  regiment  who  was  there,  but  it  was  a  sore 
subject  for  a  long  time.  Still,  no  doubt,  it  was  a  useful 
lesson,  and  my  rule  has  been  ever  since,  never  amputate 
except  as  a  forlorn  hope,  and  even  then  don't  amputate, 
for  if  you  do  the  relatives  of  the  man,  as  far  as  his  fourth 
cousins,  will  inevitably  regard  you  as  his  murderer. 
Well,  I  must  be  off;  I  will  look  in  to-morrow  morning, 
Major,  and  make  an  inspection  of  your  resources." 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  the  Hunters  are  going  to  bring  over 
their  carriage,"  the  Major  said,  two  days  later,  as  he 
looked  through  a  letter.  "I  am  very  glad  of  that,  for  I  put 
it  off  till  too  late.  I  have  been  trying  everywhere  for  the 
last  two  days  to  hire  one,  but  they  are  all  engaged,  and 
have  been  so  for  weeks,  I  hear.  I  was  wondering  what  I 
should  do,  for  my  buggy  will  only  hold  two.  I  was  think- 
ing of  asking  Mrs.  Doolan  if  she  could  take  one  of  the 
Miss  Hunters,  and  should  have  tried  to  find  a  place  for 
the  other.  But  this  settles  it  all  comfortably.  They  are 
going  to  send  on  their  own  horses  halfway  the  day  before, 
and  hire  native  ponies  for  the  first  half.  They  have  a 
good  large  family  vehicle:  I  hoped  that  they  would  bring 
it,  but,  of  course,  I  could  not  trust  to  it." 

The  Doctor  presently  dropped  in  with  Captain  Doolan. 
After  chatting  for  some  time  the  former  said,  "  I  have 
had  the  satisfaction  this  morning,  Miss  Hannay,  of  reliev- 
ing Mrs.  Cromarty's  mind  of  a  great  burden." 

"  How  was  that,  Doctor?  " 

"  It  was  in  relation  to  you,  my  dear." 

"  Me,  Doctor!  how  could  I  have  been  a  weight  o»  Mrs. 
Cromarty's  mind?  " 

"  She  sent  for  me  under  the  pretense  of  being  feverish; 
said  she  had  a  headache,  and  so  on.  Her  pulse  was  all 
right,  and  I  told  her  at  once  I  did  not  think  there  was 


64  RUJUB.  THE  JUGGLER. 

much  the  matter  with  her;  but  I  recommended  her  to 
keep  out  of  the  sun  for  two  days.  Then  she  begun  a  chat 
about  the  station.  She  knows  that,  somehow  or  other,  I 
generally  hear  all  that  is  going  on.  I  wondered  what  was 
coming,  till  she  said  casually,  'Do  you  know  what  arrange- 
ment Major  Hannay  has  made  as  to  his  niece  for  the 
races  ? '  I  said,  of  course,  that  the  Hunters  were  coming 
over  to  stay.  I  could  see  at  once  that  her  spirit  was 
instantly  relieved  of  a  heavy  burden,  but  she  only  said, 
'  Of  course,  then,  that  settles  the  question.  I  had  in- 
tended to  send  across  to  her  this  morning,  to  ask  if  she 
would  like  a  seat  in  my  carriage;  having  no  lady  with  her, 
she  could  not  very  well  have  gone  to  the  races  alone. 
Naturally,  I  should  have  been  very  pleased  to  have  had 
her  with  us.  However,  as  Mrs.  Hunter  will  be  staying  at 
the  Major's,  and  will  act  as  her  chaperon,  the  matter  is 
settled/  " 

"  Well,  I  think  it  was  very  kind  of  her  thinking  of  it," 
Isobel  said,  "  and  I  don't  think  it  is  nice  of  you,  Doctor, 
to  say  that  it  was  an  evident  relief  to  her  when  she  found 
I  had  someone  else  to  take  care  of  me.  Why  should  it 
have  been  a  relief?  " 

"  I  have  no  doubt  it  has  weighed  on  her  mind  for  the 
last  fortnight,"  the  Doctor  said;  "  she  must  have  seen  that 
as  you  were  freshly  joined,  and  the  only  unmarried  girl 
in  the  regiment,  except  her  own  daughters,  it  was  only 
the  proper  thing  she  should  offer  you  a  seat  in  her  car- 
riage. No  doubt  she  decided  to  put  it  off  as  late  as 
possible,  in  hopes  that  you  might  make  some  other 
arrangement.  Had  you  not  done  so,  she  might  have  done 
the  heroic  thing  and  invited  you,  though  I  am  by  no 
means  sure  of  it.  Of  course,  now  she  will  say  the  first 
time  she  meets  you  that  she  was  quite  disappointed  at 
having  heard  from  me  that  Mrs.  Hunter  would  be  with 
you,  as  she  had  hoped  to  have  the  pleasure  of  having  you 
in  her  carriage  with  her." 

"But  why  shouldn't  she  like  it?"  Isobel  said  indig- 
nantly. "  Surely  I  am  not  as  disagreeable  as  all  that! 
Come,  Doctor! " 

Captain  Doolan  laughed,  while  the  Doctor  said,  "  It  is 
just  the  contrary,  my"  dear;  I  am  quite  sure  that  if  you 


THE  JUGGLER.  05 

were  in  Mrs.  Cromarty's  place,  and  had  two  tall,  washed- 
out-looking  daughters,  you  would  not  feel  the  slightest 
desire  to  place  Miss  Hannay  in  the  same  carriage  with 
them." 

"  I  call  that  very  disagreeable  of  you,  Doctor,"  Isobel 
said,  flushing,  "  and  I  shall  not  like  you  at  all  if  you  take 
such  unkind  and  malicious  views  of  people.  I  don't  sup- 
pose such  an  idea  ever  entered  into  Mrs.  Cromarty's  head, 
and  even  if  it  did,  it  makes  it  all  the  kinder  that  she 
should  think  of  offering  me  a  seat.  I  do  think  most  men 
seem  to  consider  that  women  think  of  nothing  but  looks, 
and  that  girls  are  always  trying  to  attract  men,  and 
mothers  always  thinking  of  getting  their  daughters 
married.  Tt  is  not  at  all  nice,  Doctor,  to  have  such  ideas, 
and  I  shall  thank  Mrs.  Cromarty  warmly,  when  I  see  her, 
for  her  kindness  in  thinking  about  me." 

Accordingly,  that  afternoon,  when  they  met  at  the  usual 
hour,  when  the  band  was  playing,  Isobel  went  up  to  the 
Colonel's  wife. 

"  I  want  to  thank  you,  Mrs.  Cromarty.  Dr.  Wade  has 
told  me  that  you  had  intended  to  offer  me  a  seat  in  your 
carriage  to  the  races.  It  was  very  kind  and  nice  of  you  to 
think  of  me,  and  I  am  very  much  obliged  to  you.  I 
should  have  enjoyed  it  very  much  if  it  hadn't  been  that 
Mrs.  Hunter  is  coming  to  stay  with  us,  and,  of  course,  I 
shall  be  under  her  wing.  Still,  I  am  just  as  much  obliged 
to  you  for  having  thought  of  it." 

Mrs.  Cromarty  was  pleased  with  the  girl's  warmth  and 
manner,  and  afterwards  mentioned  to  several  of  her 
friends  that  she  thought  that  Miss  Hannay  seemed  a 
very  nice  young  woman. 

"  I  was  not  quite  favorably  impressed  at  first,"  she  ad- 
mitted. "  She  has  the  misfortune  of  being  a  little 
brusque  in  her  manner,  but,  of  course,  her  position  is  a 
difficult  one,  being  alone  out  here,  without  any  lady  with 
her,  and  no  doubt  she  feels  it  so.  She  was  quite  touch- 
ingly  grateful,  only  because  I  offered  her  a  seat  in  our 
carriage  for  the  races,  though  she  was  unable  to  accept  it, 
aa  the  Major  will  have  the  Hunters  staying  with  him. 


36  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  clubhouse  at  Cawnpore  was  crowded  on  the  even- 
ing before  the  races.  Up  to  eleven  o'clock  it  had  been 
comparatively  deserted,  for  there  was  scarcely  a  bungalow 
in  the  station  at  which  dinner-parties  were  not  going  on; 
but,  after  eleven,  the  gentlemen  for  the  most  part  ad- 
journed to  the  club  for  a  smoke,  a  rubber,  or  a  game  of 
billiards,  or  to  chat  over  the  racing  events  of  the  next 
day. 

Loud  greetings  were  exchanged  as  each  fresh  con- 
tingent arrived, 'for  many  newcomers  had  come  into  the 
station  only  that  afternoon.  Every  table  in  the  whist- 
room  was  occupied,  black  pool  was  being  plaved  in  the 
billiard-room  upstairs,  where  most  of  the  younger  men 
were  gathered,  while  the  elders  smoked  and  talked  in  the 
rooms  below. 

"  What  will  you  do,  Bathurst?  "  the  Doctor  asked  his 
guest,  after  the  party  from  the  Major's  had  been  chatting 
for  some  little  time  downstairs.  "  Would  you  like  to  cut 
in  at  a  rubber  or  take  a  ball  at  pool?  " 

"  Neither,  Doctor;  they  are  both  accomplishments  be- 
yond me;  I  have  not  patience  for  whist,  and  I  can't  play 
billiards  in  the  least.  I  have  tried  over  and  over  again, 
but  I  am  too  nervous^  I  fancy;  I  break  down  over  the 
easiest  stroke — in  fact,  an  easy  stroke  is  harder  for  me 
than  a  difficult  one.  I  know  I  ought  to  make  it,  and  just 
for  that  reason,  I  suppose,  I  don't." 

"  You  don't  give  one  the  idea  of  a  nervous  man,  either, 
Bathurst." 

"  Well,  I  am,  Doctor,  constitutionally,  indeed  terribly 
so." 

"Not  in  business  matters,  anyhow,"  the  Doctor  said, 
with  a  smile.  "  You  have  the  reputation  of  not  minding 
in  the  slightest  what  responsibility  you  take  upon  your- 
self, and  of  carrying  out  what  you  undertake  in  the  most 
resolute,  I  won't  say  high-handed,  manner/' 

"  No,  it  doesn't  come  in  there,"  Bathurst  laughed. 
"  Morally  I  am  not  nervous  so  far  as  I  know,  physically  I 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  tf'/ 

am.  I  would  give  a  great  deal  if  I  could  get  over  it,  but, 
as  I  have  said,  it  is  constitutional." 

"  Not  on  your  father's  side,  Bathurst.  I  knew  him 
well,  and  he  was  a  very  gallant  officer." 

"  No,  it  was  the  other  side,"  Bathurst  said;  "  I  will  tell 
you  about  it  some  day." 

At  this  moment  another  friend  of  Bathurst's  came  up 
and  entered  into  conversation  with  him. 

"Well,  I  will  go  upstairs  to  the  billiard-room,"  the 
Doctor  said;  "  and  you  will  find  me  there,  Bathurst,  when- 
ever you  feel  disposed  to  go." 

A  pool  had  just  finished  when  the  Doctor  entered  the 
billiard-room. 

"  That  is  right,  Doctor,  you  are  just  in  time,"  Prothero 
said,  as  he  entered.  "  Sinclair  has  given  up  his  cue;  he  is 
going  to  ride  to-morrow,  and  is  afraid  of  shaking  his 
nerves;  you  must  come  and  play  for  the  honor  of  the 
corps.  I  am  being  ruined  altogether,  and  Doolan  has 
retired  discomfited." 

"  I  have  not  touched  a  cue  since  I  went  away,"  the 
Doctor  said,  "  but  I  don't  mind  adding  to  the  list  of  vic- 
tims. Who  are  the  winners  ?  " 

"  Messenger  and  Jarvis  have  been  carrying  all  before 
them;  there  is  a  report  they  have  just  sent  sent  off  two 
club  waiters,  with  loads  of  rupees,  to  their  quarters. 
Scarsdale  has  been  pretty  well  holding  his  own,  but  the 
rest  of  us  are  nowhere." 

A  year's  want  of  practice,  however,  told,  and  the  Doctor 
was  added  to  the  list  of  victims:  he  had  no  difficulty  in 
getting  someone  else  to  take  his  cue  after  playing  for 
half  an  hour. 

"  It  shows  that  practice  is  required  for  everything."  he 
said;  "  before  I  went  away  I  could  have  given  each  of 
those  men  a  life,  now  they  could  give  me  two;  I  must 
devote  half  an  hour  a  day  to  it  till  I  get  it  back  again." 

"  And  you  shall  give  me  a  lesson,  Doctor,"  Captain 
Doolan,  who  had  also  retired,  said. 

"  It  would  be  time  thrown  away  by  both  of  us,  Doolan. 
You  would  never  make  a  pool-player  if  you  were  to  prac- 
tice all  your  life.  It  is  not  the  eye  that  is  wrong,  but  the 
temperament.  You  can  make  a  very  good  shot  now  and 


68  RUJVB,   THE  JUGGLER. 

then,  but  you  are  too  harum-scarum  and  slap-dash  alto- 
gether. The  art  of  playing  pool  is  the  art  of  placing 
yourself;  while,  when  you  strike,  you  have  not  the  faintest 
idea  where  your  ball  is  going  to,  and  you  are  just  as  likely 
to  run  in  yourself  as  you  are  to  pot  your  adversary.  I 
should  abjure  it  if  I  were  you,  Doolan;  it  is  too  expensive 
a  luxury  for  you  to  indulge  in." 

"  You  are  right  there,  Doctor;  only  what  is  a  man  to  do 
when  fellows  say,  'We  want  you  to  make  up  a  pool, 
Doolan'?" 

"  I  should  say  the  reply  would  be  quite  simple.  I 
should  answer,  e  I  am  ready  enough  to  play  if  any  of  you 
are  ready  to  pay  my  losses  and  take  my  winnings;  I  am 
tired  of  being  as  good  as  an  annuity  to  you  all,'  for  that  is 
what  you  have  been  for  the  last  ten  years.  Why,  it  would 
be  cheaper  for  you  to  send  home  to  England  for  skittles, 
and  get  a  ground  up  here." 

"  But  I  don't  play  so  very  badly,  Doctor." 

"If  you  play  badly  enough  always  to  lose,  it  doesn't 
matter  as  to  the  precise  degree  of  badness,"  the  Doctor 
retorted.  "  It  is  not  surprising.  When  you  came  out 
here,  fourteen  or  fifteen  years  ago,  boys  did  not  take  to 
playing  billiards,  but  they  do  now.  Look  at  that  little 
villain,  Richards.  He  has  just  cleared  the  table,  and 
done  it  with  all  the  coolness  of  a  professional  marker. 
The  young  scoundrel  ought  to  have  been  in  bed  two  hours 
ago,  for  I  hear  that  tat  of  his  is  really  a  good  one.  Not 
that  it  will  make  any  difference  to  him.  That  sort  of  boy 
would  play  billiards  till  the  first  bugle  sounds  in  the 
morning,  and  have  a  wash  and  turn  out  as  fresh  as  paint, 
but  it  won't  last,  Doolan,  not  in  this  climate;  his  cheeks 
will  have  fallen  in  and  he  will  have  crow's  feet  at  the 
corners  of  his  eyes  before  another  year  has  gone  over.  I 
like  that  other  boy,  Wilson,  better.  Of  course  he  is  a  cub 
as  yet,  but  I  should  say  there  is  good  in  him.  Just  at 
present  I  can  see  he  is  beginning  to  fancy  himself  in  love 
with  Miss  Hannay.  That  will  do  him  good;  it  is  always 
an  advantage  to  a  lad  like  that  to  have  a  good  honest  lik- 
ing for  a  nice  girl.  Of  course  it  comes  to  nothing,  and 
for  a  time  he  imagines  himself  the  most  unhappy  of  mor- 
tals, but  it  does  him  good  for  all  that;  fellows  are  far  les« 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  69 

likely  to  get  into  mischief  and  go  to  the  bad  after  an  affair 
of  that  sort.  It  gives  him  a  high  ideal,  and  if  he  is  worth 
anything  he  will  try  to  make  himself  worthy  of  her,  and 
the  good  it  does  him  will  continue  even  after  the  charm 
is  broken." 

"  What  a  fellow  you  are,  Doctor,"  Captain  Doolan  said, 
looking  down  upon  his  companion,  "  talking  away  like 
that  in  the  middle  of  this  racket,  which  would  be  enough 
to  bother  Saint  Patrick  himself!  " 

"  Well,  come  along  downstairs,  Doolan;  we  will  have  a 
final  peg  and  then  be  off;  I  expect  Bathurst  is  beginning 
to  fidget  before  now." 

"  It  will  do  him  good,"  Captain  Doolan  said  disdain- 
fully. "  I  have  no  patience  with  a  man  who  is  forever 
working  himself  to  death,  riding  about  the  country  as  if 
Old  Nick  were  behind  him,  and  never  giving  himself  a 
minute  for  diversion  of  any  kind.  Faith,  I  would  rather 
throw  myself  down  a  well  and  have  done  with  it,  than 
work  ten  times  as  hard  as  a  black  nigger." 

"  Well,  I  don't  think,  Doolan,"  the  Doctor  said  dryly, 
"  you  are  ever  likely  to  be  driven  to  suicide  by  any  such 
cause." 

"You  are  right  there,  Doctor,"  the  other  said  con- 
tentedly. "  No  man  can  throw  it  in  my  teeth  that  I  ever 
worked  when  I  had  no  occasion  to  work.  If  there  were  a 
campaign,  I  expect  I  could  do  my  share  with  the  best  of 
them,  but  in  quiet  times  I  just  do  what  I  have  to  do,  and 
if  anyone  has  an  anxiety  to  take  my  place  in  the  rota  for 
duty,  he  is  as  welcome  to  it  as  the  flowers  of  May.  I  had 
my  share  of  it  when  I  was  a  subaltern;  there  is  no  better 
fellow  living  than  the  Major,  bu1  when  he  was  Captain  of 
my  company  he  used  to  keep  me  on  the  run  by  the  hour 
together,  till  I  wished  myself  back  in  Connaught,  and  any- 
one who  liked  it  might  have  had  the  whole  of  India  for 
anything  I  cared;  he  was  one  of  the  most  uneasy  creatures 
I  ever  came  across." 

"  The  Major  is  a  good  officer,  Doolan,  and  you  were  as 
lazy  a  youngster,  and  as  hard  a  bargain,  as  the  Company 
ever  got.  You  ought  to  thank  your  stars  that  you  had 
the  good  luck  in  having  a  Captain  who  knew  his  business, 
and  made  you  learn  yours.  Why,  if  you  had  had  a  man 


70  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

like  Rintoul  as  your  Captain,  you  would  never  have  been 
worth  your  salt." 

"  You  are  not  complimentary,  Doctor;  but  then  nobody 
looks  for  compliments  from  you." 

"  I  can  pay  compliments  if  I  have  a  chance,"  the  Doctor 
retorted,  "  but  it  is  very  seldom  I  get  one  of  doing  so — 
at  least,  without  lying.  Well,  Batlmrst,  are  you  ready  to 
turn  in?" 

"  Quite  ready,  Doctor;  that  is  one  of  the  advantages  of 
not  caring  for  races;  the  merits  and  demerits  of  the  horses 
that  run  to-morrow  do  not  in  the  slightest  degree  affect 
me,  and  even  the  news  that  all  the  favorites  had  gone 
wrong  would  not  deprive  me  of  an  hour's  sleep." 

"  1  think  it  a  good  thing  to  take  an  interest  in  racing, 
Batlmrst.  Take  men  as  a  whole  out  here  they  work  hard 
— some  of  them  work  tremendously  hard — and  unless 
they  get  some  change  to  their  thoughts,  some  sort  of 
recreation,  nineteen  out  of  twenty  will  break  down  soonei 
or  later.  If  they  don't  they  become  mere  machines. 
Every  man  ought  to  have  some  sort  of  hobby;  he  need  not 
ride  it  to  death,  but  he  wants  to  take  some  sort  of  interest 
in  it.  I  don't  care  whether  he  takes  to  pig-sticking,  or 
racing,  or  shooting,  or  whether  he  goes  in  for  what  I  may 
call  the  milder  kinds  of  relaxation,  such  as  dining  out, 
billiards,  whist,  or  even  general  philandering.  Anything 
is  better  than  nothing — anything  that  will  take  his  mind 
off  his  work.  As  far  as  I  can  see,  you  don't  do  anything." 

"Therefore  I  shall  either  break  down  or  become  a 
machine,  Doctor?  " 

"  One  or  the  other  certainly,  Bathurst.  You  may 
smile,  but  I  mean  what  I  say.  I  have  seen  other  young 
fellows  just  as  full  of  work  and  enthusiasm  as  you  are,  but 
I  have  never  seen  an  exception  to  the  rule,  unless,  of 
course,  they  took  up  something  so  as  to  give  their  minds  a 
rest." 

"  The  Doctor  has  just  been  scolding  me  because  I  am. 
not  fond  enough  of  work,"  Captain  Doolan  laughed. 

"  You  are  differently  placed,  Dcolan,"  the  Doctor  said. 
"You  have  got  plenty  of  enthusiasm  in  your  nature — 
most  Irishmen  have — but  you  have  had  nothing  to  stir  it. 
Life  in  a  native  regiment  in  India  is  an  easy  one.  Your 


RUJVB,   THE  JUGGLER.  71 

duties  are  over  in  two  or  three  hours  out  of  the  twenty- 
four,  whereas  the  work  of  a  civilian  in  a  large  district 
literally  never  ends,  unless  he  puts  a  resolute  stop  to  it. 
What  with  seeing  people  from  morning  until  night,  and 
riding  about  and  listening  to  complaints,  every  hour  of 
the  day  is  occupied,  and  then  at  night  there  are  reports 
to  write  and  documents  of  all  sorts  to  go  through.  It  is 
a  great  pity  that  there  cannot  be  a  better  division  of  work, 
though  I  own  I  don't  see  how  it  is  to  be  managed." 

By  this  time  they  were  walking  towards  the  lines. 

"  I  should  not  mind  taking  a  share  of  the  civil  work  at 
the  station/'  Captain  Doolan  said,  "if  they  would  make 
our  pay  a  little  more  like  that  of  the  civilians." 

"  There  is  something  in  that,  Doolan,"  the  Doctor 
agreed;  "  it  is  just  as  hard  work  having  nothing  to  do  as 
it  is  having  too  much;  and  I  have  always  been  of  opinion 
that  the  tremendous  disproportion  between  the  pay  of  a 
military  man  and  of  a  civilian  of  the  same  age  is  simply 
monstrous.  Well,  good-night,  Doolan;  I  hope  you  will 
tell  Mrs.  Doolan  that  the  credit  is  entirely  due  to  me  that 
you  are  home  at  the  reasonable  hour  of  one  o'clock, 
instead  of  dropping  in  just  in  time  to  change  for 
parade." 

"  A  good  fellow,"  the  Doctor  said,  as  he  walked  on  with 
Bathurst;  "  he  would  never  set  the  Thames  on  fire;  but  he 
is  an  honest,  kindly  fellow.  He  would  make  a  capital 
officer  if  he  were  on  service.  His  marriage  has  been  an 
excellent  thing  for  him.  He  had  nothing  to  do  before 
but  to  pass  away  his  time  in  the  club  or  mess-house,  and 
drink  more  than  was  good  for  him.  But  he  has  pulled 
himself  round  altogether  since  he  married.  His  wife  is 
a  bright,  clever  little  woman,  and  knows  how  to  make  the 
house  happy  for  him;  if  he  had  married  a  lackadaisical 
sort  of  a  woman,  the  betting  is  he  would  have  gone  to  the 
bad  altogether." 

"  I  only  met  him  once  or  twice  before,"  Bathurst  said. 
"  You  see  I  am  not  here  very  ofteu,  and  when  I  am  it  is 
only  on  business,  so  I  know  a  very  few  people  here  except 
those  I  have  to  deal  with,  and  by  the  time  I  have  got 
through  my  business  I  am  generally  so  thoroughly  out  of 
temper  with  the  pig-headed  stupidity  and  obstinacy  of 


72  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

people  in  general,  that  I  get  into  my  buggy  and  drive 
straight  away." 

"  I  fancy  you  irritate  them  as  much  as  they  irritate  you, 
Bathurst.  Well,  here  we  are;  now  we  will  have  a  quiet 
cheroot  and  a  peg,  to  quiet  our  nerves  after  all  that  din, 
before  we  turn  in.  Let  us  get  off  our  coats  and  collars, 
and  make  ourselves  comfortable;  it  is  a  proof  of  the 
bestial  stupidity  of  mankind  that  they  should  wear  such 
abominations  as  dress-clothes  in  a  climate  like  this. 
Here,  boy,  light  the  candles  and  bring  two  sodas  and 
brandies." 

"Well,  Bathurst,"  he  went  on,  when  they  had  made 
themselves  comfortable  in  two  lounging  chairs,  "  what  do 
you  thing  of  Miss  Hannay?  " 

"  I  was  prepared  to  admire  her,  Doctor,  from  what  you 
said;  it  is  not  very  often  that  you  overpraise  things;  but 
she  is  a  charming  girl,  very  pretty  and  bright,  frank  and 
natural." 

"She  is  all  that,"  the  Doctor  said.  ."We  were  four 
months  on  the  voyage  out,  and  I  saw  enough  of  her  in 
that  time  to  know  her  pretty  thoroughly." 

"  What  puzzles  me  about  her,"  Bathurst  said,  "  is  that 
I  seemed  to  know  her  face.  Where  I  saw  her,  and  under 
what  circumstances,  I  have  been  puzzling  myself  half  the 
evening  to  recall,  but  I  have  the  strongest  conviction  that 
I  have  met  her." 

"You  are  dreaming,  man.  You  have  been  out  here 
eight  years;  she  was  a  child  of  ten  when  you  left  England. 
You  certainly  have  not  seen  her,  and  as  I  know  pretty 
well  every  woman  who  has  been  in  this  station  for  the 
last  five  or  six  years,  I  can  answer  for  it  that  you  have  not 
seen  anyone  in  the  slightest  degree  resembling  her." 

"That  is  what  I  have  been  saying  to  myself,  Doctor, 
but  that  does  not  in  the  slightest  degree  shake  my  con- 
viction about  it." 

"  Then  you  must  have  dreamt  it,"  the  Doctor  said  de- 
cidedly. "  Some  fool  of  a  poet  has  said,  '  Visions  of  love 
cast  their  shadows  before,'  or  something  of  that  sort, 
which  of  course  is  a  lie;  still,  that  is  the  only  way  that  I 
can  account  for  it." 

Bathurst  smiled  faintly.    "I  don't  think  the  quot*- 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  73 

tion  is  quite  right,  Doctor;  anyhow,  I  am  convinced  that 
the  impression  is  far  too  vivid  to  have  been  the  result  of 
a  dream." 

"By  the  way,  Bathurst,"  the  Doctor  said,  suddenly 
changing  his  conversation,  "  what  do  you  think  of  this 
talk  we  hear  about  chupaties  being  sent  round  among  the 
native  troops,  and  the  talk  about  greased  cartridges. 
You  see  more  of  the  natives  than  anyone  I  know;  do  you 
think  there  is  anything  brewing  in  the  air?  " 

a  If  there  is,  Doctor,  I  am  certain  it  is  not  Imown  to 
the  natives  in  general.  I  see  no  change  whatever  in  their 
manner,  and  I  am  sure  I  know  them  well  enough  to  notice 
any  change  if  it  existed.  I  know  nothing  about  the 
Sepoys,  but  Garnet  tells  me  that  the  Company  at  Deen- 
nugghur  give  him  nothing  to  complain  of,  though  they 
don't  obey  orders  as  smartly  as  usual,  and  they  have  a 
sullen  air  as  they  go  about  their  work." 

"  I  don't  like  it,  Bathurst.  I  do  not  understand  what 
the  chupaties  mean,  but  I  know  that  there  is  a  sort  of 
tradition  that  the  sending  of  them  round  has  always 
preceded  trouble.  The  Sepoys  have  no  reason  for 
discontent,  but  there  has  been  no  active  service  lately,  and 
idleness  is  always  bad  for  men.  I  can't  believe  there  is 
any  widespread  dissatisfaction  among  them,  but  there  is 
no  doubt  whatever  that  if  there  is,  and  it  breaks  out,  the 
position  will  be  a  very  serious  one.  There  are  not  half 
enough  white  troops  in  India,  and  the  Sepoys  may  well 
think  that  they  are  masters  of  the  situation.  It  would 
be  a  terrible  time  for  everyone  in  India  if  they  did  take 
it  into  their  heads  to  rise." 

"  I  can't  believe  they  would  be  mad  enough  to  do  that, 
Doctor;  they  have  everything  to  lose  by  it,  and  nothing  to 
gain,  that  is,  individually;  and  we  should  be  sure  to  win  in 
the  long  run,  even  if  we  had  to  conquer  back  India  foot 
by  foot." 

"  That  is  all  very  well,  Bathurst;  we  may  know  that  we 
could  do  it,  but  they  don't  know  it.  They  are  ignorant  alto- 
gether of  the  forces  we  could  put  into  the  field  were  there 
a  necessity  to  make  the  effort.  They  naturally  suppose 
that  we  can  have  but  a  few  soldiers,  for  in  all  the  battles 
WQ  have  fought  there  have  always  been  two  or  three 


74  RVJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

Sepoy  regiments  to  one  English.  Besides,  they  consider 
themselves  fully  a  match  for  us.  They  have  fought  by 
us  side  by  side  in  every  battlefield  in  India,  and  have  done 
as  well  as  we  have.  I  don't  see  what  they  should  rise  for. 
I  don't  even  see  whose  interest  it  is  to  bring  a  rising 
about,  but  I  do  know  that  if  they  rise  we  shall  have  a  ter- 
rible time  of  it.  Now  I  think  we  may  as  well  turn  in. 
You  won't  take  another  peg?  Well,  I  shall  see  you  in  the 
morning.  I  shall  be  at  the  hospital  by  half -past  six,  and 
shall  be  in  at  half-past  eight  to  breakfast.  You  have 
only  got  to  shout  for  my  man,  and  tell  him  whether 
you  will  have  tea,  coffee,  or  chocolate,  any  time  you 
wake." 

"  I  shall  be  about  by  six,  Doctor;  five  is  my  general 
hour,  but  as  it  is  past  one  now  I  dare  say  I  shall  be  able 
to  sleep  on  for  an  hour  later,  especially  as  there  is  noth- 
ing to  do." 

"  You  can  go  round  the  hospital  with  me,  if  you  like," 
the  Doctor  said,  "  if  you  will  promise  not  to  make  a  dozen 
suggestions  for  the  improvement  of  things  in  general." 

Isobel  Hannay  came  down  to  breakfast  in  high  spirits 
on  the  morning  of  the  races.  The  dinner  had  gone  off 
excellently.  The  dinner-table,  with  its  softly  shaded 
lamps,  and  the  Doctor's  arrangements  of  the  flowers,  had 
been,  she  thought,  perfection,  and  everything  had  passed 
off  without  a  hitch.  Her  duties  as  a  hostess  had  been 
much  lighter  than  she  had  anticipated.  Mrs.  Htmter  was 
a  very  pleasant,  motherly  woman,  and  the  girls,  who  had 
only  come  out  from  England  four  months  before,  were 
fresh  and  unaffected,  and  the  other  people  had  all  been 
pleasant  and  chatty. 

Altogether,  she  felt  that  her  first  dinner-party  had  been 
a  great  success. 

She  was  looking  forward  now  with  pleasant  anticipa- 
tion to  the  day.  She  had  seen  but  little  of  the  natives  so 
far,  and  she  was  now  to  see  them  at  their  best.  Then  she 
had  never  been  present  at  a  race,  and  everything  would 
be  new  and  exciting. 

"  Well,  uncle,  what  time  did  you  get  in? '"'  she  asked,  a& 
ehe  stepped  out  into  the  veranda  to  meet  him  on  his 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  f5 

return  from  earl}'  parade.  "  It  was  too  bad  of  you  and 
Mr.  Hunter  running  off  instead  of  waiting  to  chat  things 
over." 

"I  have  no  doubt  you  ladies  did  plenty  of  that,  my 
dear/"' 

"  Indeed,  we  didn't,  uncle;  you  see  they  had  had  a  very 
long  drive,  and  Mrs.  Hunter  insisted  on  the  girls  going  to 
bed  directly  you  all  went  out,  and  as  I  could  not  sit  up  by 
myself,  I  had  to  go  too." 

"  We  were  in  at  half-past  twelve,"  the  Major  said.  "  I 
can  stand  a  good  deal  of  smoke,  but  the  club  atmosphere 
was  too  thick  for  me." 

"  Everything  went  off  very  well  yesterday,  didn't  it  ?  " 
she  asked. 

"  Very  well,  I  thought,  my  dear,  thanks  to  you  and  the 
Doctor  and  Eumzan." 

"  I  had  very  little  to  do  with  it/'  she  laughed. 

"  Well,  I  don't  think  you  had  much  to  do  with  the  abso- 
lute arrangements,  Isobel,  but  I  thought  you  did  very  well 
as  hostess;  it  seemed  to  me  that  there  was  a  good  deal  of 
laughing  and  fun  at  your  end  of  the  table." 

"  Yes;  you  see  we  had  the  two  Miss  Hunters  and  the 
Doctor  there,  and  Mr.  Gregson,  who  took  me  in,  turned 
out  a  verjr  merry  old  gentleman." 

"  He  would  not  be  pleased  if  he  heard  you  call  him  old, 
Isobel." 

"'  Well,  of  course  he  is  not  absolutely  old,  but  being  a 
commissioner,  and  all  that  sort  of  thing,  gives  one  the 
idea  of  being  old;  but  there  are  the  others."  And  they 
went  into  the  breakfast-room. 

The  first  race  was  set  for  two  o'clock,  and  at  half-past 
one  Mrs.  Hunter's  carriage,  with  the  four  ladies,  arrived 
at  the  inclosure.  The  horses  were  taken  out,  and  the 
carriage  wheeled  into  its  place,  and  then  Isobel  and  the 
two  Miss  Hunters  prepared  to  enjoy  the  scene. 

It  was  a  very  gay  one.  The*  course  was  at  present 
covered  with  a  throng  of  natives  in  their  bright-colored 
garments,  and  mixed  with  them  were  the  scarlet  uniforms 
of  the  Sepoys  of  the  103d  and  other  regiments.  On  the 
opposite  side  were  a  number  of  native  vehicles  of  various 
descriptions,  and  some  elephants  with  painted  faces  and 


76  RUJUB,  THE  JVQQLPhC. 

gorgeous  trappings,  and  with  howdahs  shaded  by  pavilions 
glittering  with  gilt  and  silver. 

On  either  side  of  their  vehicle  a  long  line  of  carriages 
was  soon  formed  up,  and  among  these  were  several 
occupied  by  gayly  dressed  natives,  whose  rank  gave  them 
entrance  to  the  privileged  inclosure.  The  carriages  were 
placed  three  or  four  yards  back  from  the  rail,  and  the 
intervening  space  was  filled  with  civilian  and  military 
officers,  in  white  or  light  attire,  and  with  pith  helmet  or 
puggaree;  many  others  were  on  horseback  behind  the 
carriages. 

"  It  is  a  bright  scene,  Miss  Hannay,"  the  Doctor  said, 
coming  up  to  the  carriage. 

"  Wonderfully  pretty,  Doctor!  " 

"  An  English  race  course  doesn't  do  after  this,  I  can  tell 
you.  I  went  down  to  the  Derby  when  I  was  at  home,  and 
such  an  assembly  of  riff-raff  I  never  saw  before  and  never 
wish  to  see  again." 

"  These  people  are  more  picturesque,  Dr.  Wade,"  Mrs. 
Hunter  said,  "  but  that  is  merely  a  question  of  garment; 
these  people  perhaps  are  no  more  trustworthy  than  those 
you  met  on  the  racecourse  at  home." 

"  I  was  speaking  of  them  purely  as  a  spectacle;  in- 
dividually I  have  no  doubt  one  would  be  safer  among  the 
English  roughs  and  betting  men  than  among  these  placid- 
looking  natives.  The  one  would  pick  your  pockets  of 
every  penny  you  have  got  if  they  had  the  chance,  the 
other  would  cut  your  throat  with  just  as  little  compunc- 
tion/' 

"  You  don't  really  mean  that,  Dr.  Wade?"  Isobel  said.- 

"  I  do  indeed,  Miss  Hannay;  the  Oude  men  are  notori- 
ous brawlers  and  fighters,  and  I  should  say  that  the  roughs 
of  Cawnpore  and  Lucknow  could  give  long  odds  to  those 
of  any  European  city,  and  three  out  of  four  of  those  men 
you  see  walking  about  there  would  not  only  cut  the  throat 
of  a  European  to  obtain  what  money  he  had  about  him, 
but  would  do  so  without  that  incentive,  upon  the  simple 
ground  that  he  hated  us." 

"  But  why  should  he  hate  us,  Doctor?  he  is  none  the 
worse  off  now  than  he  was  before  we  annexed  the 
country/' 


77 

"  Well,  yes,  that  class  of  man  is  worse  off.  In  the  old 
days  every  noble  and  Zemindar  kept  up  a  little  army  for 
the  purpose  of  fighting  his  neighbors,  just  as  our  Barons 
used  to  do  in  the  happy  olden  times  people  talk  of.  We 
have  put  down  private  fighting,  and  the  consequence  ia 
these  men's  occupations  are  gone,  and  they  flock  to  great 
towns  and  there  live  as  best  they  can,  ready  to  commit 
any  crime  whatever  for  the  sum  of  a  few  rupees.  There 
is  Nana  Sahib." 

Isobel  looked  round  and  saw  a  carriage  with  a  magnifi- 
cent pair  of  horses,  in  harness  almost  covered  with  silver 
ornaments,  drive  up  to  a  place  that  had  been  kept  vacant 
for  it.  Four  natives  were  sitting  in  it. 

"That  is  the  Rajah,"  the  Doctor  said,  "the  farther 
man,  with  that  aigrette  of  diamonds  in  his  turban.  He  is 
Oriental  to-day,  but  sometimes  he  affects  English  fash- 
ions. He  is  a  very  cheery  fellow,  he  keeps  pretty  well 
open  house  at  Bithoor,  has  a  billiard-table,  and  a  first- 
rate  cellar  of  wine,  carriages  for  the  use  of  guests — in 
fact,  he  does  the  thing  really  handsomely." 

"  Here  is  my  opera-glass,"  Mrs.  Hunter  said.  Isobel 
looked  long  and  fixedly  at  the  Rajah. 

"  Well,  what  do  you  think  of  him?  "  the  Doctor  asked, 
as  she  lowered  it. 

"I  do  not  know  what  to  think  of  him,"  she  said;  "his 
face  does  not  tell  me  anything,  it  is  like  looking  at  a 
mask;  but  you  see  I  am  not  accustomed  to  read  brown 
men's  characters,  they  are  so  different  from  Europeans, 
their  faces  all  seem  so  impassive.  I  suppose  it  is  the  way 
in  which  they  are  brought  up  and  trained." 

"  Ages  of  tyranny  have  made  them  supple  and  deceit- 
ful," the  Doctor  said,  "  but  of  course  less  so  here  than 
among  the  Bengallies,  who,  being  naturally  unwarlike 
and  cowardly,  have  always  been  the  slaves  of  some  master 
or  other. 

"  You  evidently  don't  like  the  Nana,  Miss  Hannay.  I 
am  rather  glad  you  don't,  for  he  is  no  great  favorite  of 
mine,  though  he  is  so  generally  popular  in  the  station 
here.  I  don't  like  him  because  it  is  not  natural  that  he 
should  be  so  friendly  with  us.  We  undoubtedly,  accord- 
ing to  native  notions,  robbed  him  of  one  of  the  finest  posi- 


78  RUJVBi  THE  JUQGLER 

tions  in  India  by  refusing  to  acknowledge  his  adoption. 
We  have  given  him  a  princely  revenue,  but  that,  after  all, 
is  a  mere  trifle  to  what  he  would  have  had  as  Peishwa. 
Whatever  virtues  the  natives  of  this  country  possess,  the 
forgiving  of  injuries  is  not  among  them,  and  therefore  I 
consider  it  to  be  altogether  unnatural  that  he,  having 
been,  as  he  at  any  rate  and  everyone  round  him  must 
consider,  foully  wronged,  should  go  out  of  his  way  to 
affect  our  society  and  declare  the  warmest  friendship 
for  us." 

The  Kajah  was  laughing  and  talking  with  General 
Wheeler  and  the  group  of  officers  round  his  carriage. 

Again  Isobel  raised  the  glasses.  "  You  are  right,  Doc- 
tor," she  said,  "  I  don't  like  him." 

"  Well,  there  is  one  comfort,  it  doesn't  matter  whether 
he  is  sincere  or  not,  he  is  powerless  to  hurt  us.  I  don't 
see  any  motive  for  his  pretending  to  be  friendly  if  he  is 
not,  but  I  own  that  I  should  like  him  better  if  he  sulked 
and  would  have  nothing  to  say  to  us,  as  would  be  the 
natural  course." 

The  bell  now  began  to  ring,  and  the  native  police 
cleared  the  course.  Major  Hannay  and  Mr.  Hunter,  'who 
had  driven  over  in  the  buggy,  came  up  and  took  their 
places  on  the  box  of  the  carriage. 

"  Here  are  cards  of  the  races,"  he  said.  "  Now  is  the 
time,  young  ladies,  to  make  your  bets." 

"  I  don't  know  even  the  name  of  anyone  in  this  iirst 
race,"  Isobel  said,  looking  at  the  card. 

"  That  doesn't  matter  in  the  least,  Miss  Hannay,"  Wil- 
son, who  had  just  come  up  to  the  side  of  the  carriage, 
said.  "  There  are  six  horses  in;  you  pick  out  any  one  you 
like,  and  I  will  lay  you  five  pairs  of  gloves  to  one  against 
him." 

"  But  how  am  I  to  pick  out  when  I  don't  know  anything 
about  them,  Mr.  Wilson?  I  might  pick  out  one  that  had 
no  chance  at  all." 

"  Yes;  but  you  might  pick  out  the  favorite,  Miss  Han- 
nay, so  that  it  is  quite  fair." 

"  Don't  you  bet,  Isobel,"  her  uncle  said.  "  Let  us  have 
a  sweepsteak  instead." 

"What  is  a  sweepstake,  uncle?" 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  79 

There  was  a  general  laugh. 

"  Well,  my  dear,  we  each  put  in  a  rupee.  There  are  six 
of  us,  and  there  are  Wilson  and  the  Doctor.  You  will  go 
in,  Doctor,  won't  you?  " 

"  Yes;  I  don't  mind  throwing  away  a  rupee,  Major." 

"  Very  well,  that  makes  eight.  We  put  eight  pieces  of 
paper  in  the  hat.  Six  of  them  have  got  the  names  of  the 
horses  on,  the  other  two  are  blank.  Then  we  each  pull 
out  one.  Whoever  draws  the  name  of  the  horse  that  wins 
takes  five  rupees,  the  holder  of  the  second  two,  and  the 
third  saves  his  stake.  You  shall  hold  the  stakes,  Mrs. 
Hunter.  We  have  all  confidence  in  you." 

The  slips  were  drawn. 

"  My  hor?e  is  Bruce,"  Isobel  said. 

"  There  he  is,  Miss  Hannay,"  Wilson,  who  had  drawn  a 
blank,  said,  as  a  horse  whose  rider  had  a  straw-colored 
jacket  and  cap  came  cantering  along  the  course.  "  This 
is  a  race  for  country  horses — owners  up.  That  means 
ridden  by  their  owners.  That  is  Pearson  of  the  13th 
Native  Cavalry.  He  brought  the  horse  over  from  Luck- 
now." 

"  What  chance  has  he?  " 

"  I  have  not  the  least  idea,  Miss  Hannay.  I  did  not 
hear  any  betting  on  this  race  at  all." 

"  That  is  a  nice  horse,  uncle,"  Isobel  said,  as  one  with  a 
rider  in  black  jacket,  with  red  cap,  came  past. 

"  That  is  Delhi.     Yes,  it  has  good  action." 

"  That  is  mine,"  the  eldest  Miss  Hunter  said. 

{t  The  rider  is  a  good-looking  young  fellow,"  the  Doctor 
said,  "  and  is  perfectly  conscious  of  it  himself.  Who  is 
he,  Wilson?  I  don't  know  him." 

"  He  is  a  civilian.  Belongs  to  the  public  works,  I 
think." 

The  other  horses  now  came  along,  and  after  short  pre- 
liminary canters  the  start  was  made.  To  Isobel's  dis- 
appointment her  horse  was  never  in  the  race,  which  Delhi 
looked  like  winning  until  near  the  post,  when  a  rather 
common-looking  horse,  which  had  been  lying  a  short  dis- 
tance behind  him,  came  up  with  a  rush  and  won  by  a 
length. 

"  I  don't  call  that  fair,"  Miss  Hunter  said,  "  when  the 


80  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

other  was  first  ali  along.  I  ^all  that  a  mean  way  ef 
winning,  don't  you,  father?  " 

"  Well,  no,  my  dear.  It  was  easy  to  see  for  the  last 
quarter  of  a  mile  that  the  other  was  making  what  is  called 
a  *  waiting  race '  of  it,  and  was  only  biding  his  time. 
There  is  nothing  unfair  in  that.  I  fancy  Delhi  might  have 
won  if  he  had  had  a  better  jockey.  His  rider  never  really 
called  upon  him  till  it  was  too  late.  He  was  so  thoroughly 
satisfied  with  himself  and  his  position  in  the  race  that  he 
was  taken  completely  by  surprise  when  Moonshee  came 
suddenly  up  to  him." 

"  Well,  I  think  it  is  very  hard  upon  Delhi,  father,  after 
keeping  ahead  all  the  way  and  going  so  nicely.  I  think 
everyone  ought  to  do  their  best  from  the  first." 

"  I  fancy  you  are  thinking,  Miss  Hunter,"  the  Doctor 
said,  "  quite  as  much  that  it  is  hard  on  you  being  beaten 
after  your  hopes  had  been  raised,  as  it  is  upon  the  horse." 

"  Perhaps  I  am,  Doctor,"  she  admitted. 

"  I  think  it  is  much  harder  on  me,"  Isobel  said.  "  You 
have  had  the  satisfaction  of  thinking  all  along  that  your 
horse  was  going  to  win,  while  mine  never  gave  me  the 
least  bit  of  hope." 

"  The  proper  expression,  Miss  Hannay,  is,  your  horse 
never  flattered  you." 

"  Then  I  think  it  is  a  very  silly  expression,  Mr.  Wilson, 
because  I  don't  see  that  flattery  has  anything  to  do  with 
it." 

"Ah,  here  is  Bathurst,"  the  Doctor  said.  "Where 
have  you  been,  Bathurst?  You  slipped  away  from  me 
just  now." 

"  I  have  just  been  talking  to  the  Commissioner,  Doctor. 
I  have  been  trying  to  get  him  to  see " 

"  Why,  you  don't  mean  to  say,"  the  Doctor  broke  in, 
"  that  you  have  been  trying  to  cram  your  theories  down 
his  throat  on  a  racecourse! " 

"  It  was  before  the  race  began,"  Bathurst  said,  "  and  I 
don't  think  the  Commissioner  has  any  more  interest  in 
racing  than  I  have." 

"  Not  in  racing,"  the  Doctor  agreed,  "  but  I  expect  he 
has  an  interest  in  enjoying  himself  generally,  which  is  a 
thing  you  don't  seem  to  have  the  most  remote  idea  of. 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER.  81 

Here  we  are  just  getting  up  a  sweepstake  for  the  next 
race;  hand  over  a  rup9e  and  try  to  get  up  an  interest  in  it. 
Do  try  and  forget  your  work  till  the  race  is  over.  I  have 
brought  you  here  to  do  you  good.  I  regard  you  as  my 
patient,  and  I  give  you  my  medical  orders  that  you  are  to 
enjoy  yourself." 

Bathurst  laughed. 

"  I  am  enjoying  myself  in  my  way,  Doctor." 

"Who  is  that  very  pretty  woman  standing  up  in  the 
next  carriage  but  one?"  Isobel  asked. 

"  She  comes  from  an  out-station,"  the  Doctor  repeated; 
"  she  is  the  wife  of  the  Collector  there,  but  I  think  she 
likes  Cawnpore  better  than  Boorgum;  her  name  is  Kose." 

"  Is  that  her  husband  talking  to  her?  " 

"  No;  that  is  a  man  in  the  Artillery  here,  I  think." 

"Yes,"  the  Major  said,  "that  is  Harrowby,  a  good- 
looking  fellow,  and  quite  a  ladies'  man." 

"  Do  you  mean  a  man  ladies  like,  uncle,  or  who  likes  the 
society  of  ladies?  " 

"  Both  in  his  case,  I  should  fancy,"  the  Major  said;  "  I 
believe  he  is  considered  one  of  the  best-looking  men  in  the 
service." 

"  I  don't  see  why  he  should  be  liked  for  that,"  Isobel 
said.  "  As  far  as  I  have  seen,  good-looking  men  are  not 
so  pleasant  as  others.  I  suppose  it  is  because  they  are 
conscious  of  their  own  good  looks,  and  therefore  do  not 
take  the  trouble  of  being  amusing.  We  had  one  very 
good-looking  man  on  board  ship,  and  he  was  the  dullest 
man  to  talk  to  on  board.  No,  Doctor,  I  won't  have  any 
names  mentioned,  but  I  am  right,  am  I  not?  " 

"  He  was  a  dull  specimen,  certainly,"  the  Doctor  said, 
"  but  I  think  you  are  a  little  too  sweeping." 

"  I  don't  mean  all  good-looking  men,  of  course,  but 
men  who  what  I  call  go  in  for  being  good-looking.  I 
don't  know  whether  you  know  what  I  mean.  What  are 
you  smiling  at,  Mr.  Wilson?  " 

"  I  was  thinking  of  two  or  three  men  I  know  to  whom 
your  description  applies,  Miss  Hannay;  but  I  must  be 
going — they  are  just  going  to  start  the  next  race,  and 
mine  is  the  one  after,  so  I  must  go  and  get  ready.  You 
wish  me  success,  don't  you?" 


82  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

"'  I  wish  you  all  the  success  you  deserve.  I  can't  say 
more  than  that,  can  I?  " 

"  I  am  afraid  that  is  saying  very  little,"  he  laughed. 
"  I  don't  expect  to  win,  but  I  do  hope  I  shall  beat 
Richards,  because  he  is  so  cock-sure  he  will  beat  me." 

This  wish  was  not  gratified.  The  first  and  second 
horses  made  a  close  race  of  it;  behind  them  by  ten  or 
twelve  lengths  came  the  other  horses  in  a  clump,  Wilson 
and  Richards  singling  themselves  out  in  the  last  hundred 
yards  and  making  a  desperate  race  for  the  third  place,  for 
which  they  made  a  dead  heat,  amid  great  laughter  from 
their  comrades. 

"That  is  excellent,"  Major  Hannay  gaid;  "you  won't 
see  anything  more  amusing  than  that  to-day,  girls.  The 
third  horse  simply  saved  his  stake,  so  that  as  they  will  of 
course  divide,  they  will  have  paid  twenty-five  rupees  each 
for  the  pleasure  of  riding,  and  the  point  which  of  their 
tats  is  the  fastest  remains  unsettled." 

"  Well,  they  beat  a  good  many  of  them,  Major  Han- 
nay,"  Miss  Hunter  said;  "  so  they  did  not  do  so  badlv 
after  all." 

"  Oh,  no,  they  did  not  do  so  badly;  but  it  will  be  a  long 
time  before  they  get  over  the  chaff  about  their  desperate 
struggle  for  the  third  place." 

The  next  two  races  attracted  but  slight  attention  from 
the  occupants  of  the  carriage.  Most  of  their  acquaint- 
ances in  the  station  came  up  one  after  the  other  for  a 
chat.  There  were  many  fresh  introductions,  and  there 
was  so  much  conversation  and  laughter  that  the  girls  had 
little  time  to  attend  to  what  was  going  on  around  them. 
Wilson  and  Richards  both  sauntered  up  after  changing, 
and  were  the  subject  of  much  chaff  as  to  their  brilliant 
riding  at  the  finish.  Both  were  firm  in  the  belief  that  the 
judge's  finding  was  wrong,  and  each  maintained  stoutly 
he  had  beaten  the  other  by  a  good  head. 

The  race  for  Arabs  turned  out  a  very  exciting  one;  the 
Rajah  of  Bithoor's  horse  was  the  favorite,  on  the  strength 
of  its  performances  elsewhere;  but  Prothero's  horse  was 
also  well  supported,  especially  in  the  regiment,  for  the 
Adjutant  was  a  first-class  rider,  and  was  in  great  request 
at  all  the  principal  meetings  in  Oude  and  the  Northwest 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER.  83 

Provinces,  while  it  was  known  that  the  Rajah's  l;orse 
would  be  ridden  by  a  native.  The  latter  was  dressed  in 
strict  racing  costume,  and  had  at  the  last  races  at  Cawn- 
pore  won  two  or  three  cups  for  the  Rajah. 

But  the  general  opinion  among  the  officers  of  the 
station  was  that  Prothero's  coolness  and  nerve  would  tell. 
His  Arab  was  certainly  a  fast  one,  and  had  won  the  previ- 
ous year,  both  at  Cawnpore  and  Lucknow;  but  the  Rajah's 
nev,-  purchase  had  gained  so  high  a  reputation  in  the 
Western  Presidency  as  fully  to  justify  the  odds  of  two  to 
one  laid  on  it,  while  four  to  one  were  offered  against 
Prothero,  and  from  eight  to  twenty  to  one  against  any 
other  competitor. 

Prothero  had  stopped  to  have  a  chat  at  the  Hunters' 
carriage  as  he  walked  towards  the  dressing-tent. 

':  Our  hopes  are  all  centered  in  you, -Mr.  Prothero,"  Mr. 
Hunter  said.  "  Miss  Hannay  has  been  wagering  gloves 
in  a  frightfully  reckless  way/' 

"  I  should  advise  you  to  hedge  if  you  can,  Miss  Han- 
nay/'  he  said.  "  I  think  there  is  no  doubt  that  Mameluke 
is  a  good  deal  faster  than  Seila.  I  fancy  he  is  pounds 
better.  I  only  beat  Vincent's  horse  by  a  head  last  year, 
and  Mameluke  gave  him  seven  pounds,  and  beat  him  by 
three  lengths  at  Poona.  So  I  should  strongly  advise  you 
to  hedge  your  bets  if  you  can." 

"  What  does  he  mean  by  hedge,  uncle?  " 

"  To  hedge  is  to  bet  the  other  way,  so  that  one  bet 
cancels  the  other." 

'*'  Oh,  I  shan't  do  that,"  she  said;  "  I  have  enough  money 
to  pay  my  bets  if  I  lose." 

"  Do  you  mean  to  say  you  mean  to  pay  your  bets  if  you 
lose,  Miss  Hannay?"  the  Doctor  asked  incredulously. 

"  Of  course  I  do,"  she  said  indignantly.  "  You  don't 
suppose  I  intend  to  take  the  gloves  if  I  win,  and  not  to 
pay  if  Hose?" 

"  It  is  not  altogether  an  uncommon  practice  among 
ladies,"  the  Doctor  said,  "  when  they  bet  against  gentle- 
men. I  believe  that  when  they  wager  against  each  other, 
which  they  do  not  often  do,  they  are  strictly  honest,  but 
that  otherwise  their  memories  are  apt  to  fail  them  alto- 
gether." 


84  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

"That  is  a  libel,  Mrs.  Hunter,  is  it  not?" 

"  Not  altogether,  I  think.  Of  course  many  ladies  do 
pay  their  bets  when  they  lose,  but  others  certainly  do 
not." 

"  Then  I  call  it  very  mean,"  Isobel  said  earnestly. 
"  Why,  it  is  as  bad  as  asking  anyone  to  make  you  a  present 
of  so  many  pairs  of  gloves  in  case  a  certain  horse  wins." 

"  It  comes  a  good  deal  to  the  same  thing,"  Mrs.  Huntei 
admitted,  "  but  to  a  certain  extent  it  is  a  recognized  cus- 
tom; it  is  a  sort  of  tribute  that  is  exacted  at  race  time, 
just  as  in  France  every  lady  expects  a  present  from  every 
gentleman  of  her  acquaintance  on  New  Year's  Day." 

"I  wouldn't  bet  if  I  didn't  mean  to  pay  honestly," 
Isobel  said.  "  And  if  Mr.  Prothero  doesn't  win,  my  debts 
will  all  be  honorably  discharged." 

There  was  a  hush  of  expectation  in  the  crowd  when  the 
ten  horses  whose  numbers  were  up  went  down  to  the 
starting-point,  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  stand.  They 
were  to  pass  it,  make  the  circuit,  and  finish  there,  the  race 
being  two  miles.  The  interest  of  the  natives  was  enlisted 
by  the  fact  that  Nana  Sahib  was  running  a  horse,  while 
the  hopes  of  the  occupants  of  the  inclosure  rested  princi- 
pally on  Seila. 

The  flag  fell  to  a  good  start;  but  when  the  horses  came 
along  Isobel  saw  with  surprise  that  the  dark  blue  of  the 
Rajah  and  the  Adjutant's  scarlet  and  white  were  both  in 
the.  rear  of  the  group.  Soon  afterwards  the  scarlet 
seemed  to  be  making  its  way  through  the  horses,  and  was 
speedily  leading  them. 

"  Prothero  is  making  the  running  with  a  vengeance," 
the  Major  said.  "  That  is  not  like  his  usual  tactics, 
Doctor." 

"  I  fancy  he  knows  what  he  is  doing,"  the  Doctor 
replied.  "He  saw  that  Mameluke's  rider  was  going  to 
make  a  waiting  race  of  it,  and  as  the  horse  has  certainly 
the  turn  of  speed  on  him,  he  is  trying  other  tactics. 
They  are  passing  the  mile  post  now,  and  Prothero  is 
twelve  or  fourteen  lengths  ahead.  There,  Mameluke  is 
going  through  his  horses;  his  rider  is  beginning  to  get 
nervous  at  the  lead  Prothero  has  got,  and  he  can't  stand 
it  any  longer.  He  ought  to  have  waited  for  another  half- 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER.  85 

mile.  You  will  see,  Prothero  will  win  after  all.  Seila 
can  stay,  there  is  no  doubt  about  that." 

A  roar  of  satisfaction  rose  from  the  mass  of  natives  on 
the  other  side  of  the  inclosure  as  Mameluke  was  seen  to 
leave  the  group  of  horses  and  gradually  to  gain  upon 
Seila. 

"  Oh,  he  will  catch  him,  uncle!  "  Isobel  said,  tearing  her 
handkerchief  in  her  excitement. 

The  Major  was  watching  the  horses  through  his  field- 
glass. 

"  Never  mind  his  catching  him,"  he  said;  "  Prothero  is 
riding  quietly  and  steadily.  Seila  is  doing  nearly  her 
best,  but  he  is  not  hurrying  her,  while  the  fool  on  Mame- 
luke is  bustling  the  horse  as  if  he  had  only  a  hundred 
yards  further  to  go." 

The  horses  were  nearing  the  point  at  which  they  had 
started,  when  a  shout  from  the  crowd  proclaimed  that  the 
blue  jacket  had  come  up  to  and  passed  the  scarlet. 
Slowly  it  forged  ahead  until  it  was  two  lengths  in  ad- 
vance, for  a  few  strides  their  relative  positions  remained 
unaltered,  then  there  was  a  shout  from  the  carriages; 
scarlet  was  coming  up  again.  Mameluke's  rider  glanced 
over  his  shoulder,  and  began  to  use  the  whip.  For  a  few 
strides  the  horse  widened  the  gap  again,  but  Prothero 
still  sat  quiet  and  unmoved.  Just  as  they  reached  the 
end  of  the  line  of  carriages,  Seila  again  began  to  close  up. 

"  Seila  wins!  Seila  wins!  "  the  officers  shouted. 

But  it  seemed  to  Isobel  that  this  was  well-nigh  impossi- 
ble, but  foot  by  foot  the  mare  came  up,  and  as  they  passed 
the  Hunters'  carriage  her  head  was  in  advance. 

In  spite  of  the  desperate  efforts  of  the  rider  of  Mame- 
luke, another  hundred  yards  and  they  passed  the  winning 
post,  Seila  a  length  ahead. 


CHAPTER  VH. 

THE  exultation  of  the  officers  of  the  103d  over  Seila's 
"rictory  was  great.  They  had  all  backed  her,  relying  upon 
Prothero's  riding,  but  although  his  success  was  generally 
popular  among  the  Europeans  at  the  station,  many  had 


86  RUJVB,   THE  JLGGLEK. 

lost  considerable  sums  by  their  confidence  in  Mameluke's 
speed. 

Isobel  sat  down  feeling  quite  faint  from  the  excite- 
ment. 

"  I  did  not  think  I  could  have  been  so  excited  over  a 
race  between  two  horses,"  she  said  to  Mrs.  Hunter;  "  it 
was  not  the  bets,  I  never  even  thought  about  them — it 
was  just  because  I  wanted  to  see  Mr.  Prothero's  horse  win. 
I  never  understood  before  why  people  should  take  such  an 
interest  in  horse-racing,  but  I  quite  understand  now." 

"  What  is  your  size,  Miss  Hannay?  "  Wilson  asked. 

"  Oh,  I  don't  care  anything  about  the  gloves,  Mr. 
Wilson;  I  am  sorry  I  bet  now." 

"  You  needn't  feel  any  compunction  in  taking  them 
from  me  or  from  any  of  us,  Miss  Hannay;  we  have  all  won 
over  Seila;  the  regiment  will  have  to  give  a  ball  on  the 
strength  of  it.  I  only  put  on  a  hundred  rupees,  and  so 
have  won  four  hundred,  but  most  of  them  have  won  ever 
so  much  more  than  that;  and  all  I  have  lost  is  four  pair 
of  gloves  to  you,  and  four  to  Mrs.  Doolan,  and  four  to 
Mrs.  Prothero — a  dozen  in  all.  Which  do  you  take,  white 
or  cream,  and  what  is  your  size  ?  " 

"  Six  and  a  half,  cream." 

"All  right,  Miss  Hannay.  The  Nana  must  have  lost 
a  good  lot  of  money;  he  has  been  backing  his  horse  with 
everyone  who  would  lay  against  it.  However,  it  won't 
make  any  difference  to  him,  and  it  is  always  a  satisfaction 
when  the  loss  comes  on  someone  to  whom  it  doesn't  mat- 
ter a  bit.  I  think  the  regiment  ought  to  give  a  dinner  to 
Prothero,  Major;  it  was  entirely  his  riding  that  did  it;  he 
hustled  that  nigger  on  Mameluke  splendidly.  If  the  fel- 
low had  waited  till  within  half  a  mile  of  home  he  would 
have  won  to  a  certainty;  I  never  saw  anything  better." 

"Well,  Miss  Hannay,  what  do  you  think  of  a  horse- 
race? "  Bathurst,  who  had  only  remained  a  few  minutes 
at  the  carriage,  asked,  as  he  strolled  up  again.  "  You 
said  yesterday  that  you  had  never  seen  one." 

"  I  am  a  little  ashamed  to  say  I  was  very  much  excited 
over  it,  Mr.  Bathurst.  You  have  not  lost,  I  hope?  You 
are  looking "  and  she  stopped. 

"  Shaky?  "  he  said,    "  Yes;  I  feel  shaky.    I  had  not  a 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER.  87 

penny  on  the  race,  for  though  the  Doctor  made  me  put 
into  a  sweep  last  night  at  the  club,  I  drew  a  blank;  but  the 
shouting  and  excitement  at  the  finish  seemed  to  take  my 
breath  away,  and  I  felt  quite  faint." 

"  That  is  just  how  I  felt;  I  did  not  know  men  felt  like 
that.  They  don't  generally  seem  to  know  what  nerves 
are." 

"I  wish  I  didn't;  it  is  a  great  nuisance.  The  Doctor 
tries  to  persuade  me  that  it  is  the  effect  of  overwork,  but 
I  have  always  been  so  from  a  child,  and  I  can't  get  over 
it." 

"  You  don't  look  nervous,  Mr.  Bathurst." 

"  No;  when  a  man  is  a  fair  size,  and  looks  bronzed  and 
healthy,  no  one  will  give  him  credit  for  being  nervous.  I 
would  give  a  very  great  deal  if  I  could  get  over  it." 

"  I  don't  see  that  it  matters  much  one  way  or  the  other, 
Mr.  Bathurst." 

"  I  can  assure  you  that  it  does.  I  regard  it  as  being  a 
most  serious  misfortune." 

Isobel  was  a  little  surprised  at  the  earnestness  with 
which  he  spoke. 

"I  should  not  have  thought  that,"  she  said  quietly; 
"  but  I  can  understand  that  it  is  disagreeable  for  a  man  to 
feel  nervous,  simply,  I  suppose,  because  it  is  regarded  as  a 
feminine  quality;  but  I  think  a  good  many  men  are 
nervous.  We  had  several  entertainments  on  board  the 
ship  coming  out,  and  it  was  funny  to  see  how  many  great 
strong  men  broke  down,  especially  those  who  had  to  make 
speeches." 

"  I  am  not  nervous  in  that  way,"  Bathurst  said,  with 
a  laugh.  "  My  pet  horror  is  noise;  thunder  prostrates  me 
completely,  and  in  fact  all  noises,  especially  any  sharp, 
sudden  sound,  affect  me.  I  really  find  it  a  great  nuisance. 
I  fancy  a  woman  with  nerves  considers  herself  as  a 
martyr,  and  deserving  of  all  pity  and  sympathy.  It  is 
almost  a  fashionable  complaint,  and  she  is  a  little  proud 
of  it;  but  a  man  ought  to  have  his  nerves  in  good  order, 
and  as  much  as  that  is  expected  of  him  unless  he  is  a 
feeble  little  body.  There  is  the  bell  for  the  next  race." 

"  Are  you  going  to  bet  on  this  race  again,  Miss  Han- 
nay?  "  Wilson  said,  coming  up. 


88  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

"  'No,  Mr.  Wilson.  I  have  done  my  first  and  last  bit  of 
gambling.  I  don't  think  it  is  nice,  ladies  betting,  after 
all,  and  if  there  were  a  hospital  here  I  should  order  you  to 
send  the  money  the  gloves  will  cost  you  to  it  as  conscience 
money,  and  then  perhaps  you  might  follow  my  example 
with  your  winnings." 

"  My  conscience  is  not  moved  in  any  way/'  he  laughed; 
"  when  it  is  I  will  look  out  for  a  deserving  charity.  Well, 
if  you  won't  bet  I  must  see  if  I  can  make  a  small  invest- 
ment somewhere  else." 

"I  shall  see  you  at  the  ball,  of  course?"  Isobel 
said,  turning  to  Mr.  Bathurst,  as  Wilson  left  the  car- 
riage. 

"  No,  I  think  not.  Balls  are  altogether  out  of  my  line, 
and  as  there  is  always  a  superabundance  of  men  at  such 
affairs  here,  there  is  no  sense  of  duty  about  it." 

"  What  is  your  line,  Mr.  Bathurst?  " 

"  I  am  afraid  I  have  none,  Miss  Hannay.  The  fact  is, 
there  is  really  more  work  to  be  done  than  one  can  get 
through.  When  you  get  to  know  the  natives  well  you 
cannot  help  liking  them  and  longing  to  do  them  some 
good  if  they  would  but  let  you,  but  it  is  so  difficult  to  get 
them  to  take  up  new  ideas.  Their  religion,  with  all  its 
customs  and  ceremonies,  seems  designed  expressly  to  bar 
out  all  improvements.  Except  in  the  case  of  abolishing 
Suttee,  we  have  scarcely  weaned  them  from  one  of  their 
observances;  and  even  now,  in  spite  of  our  efforts,  widows 
occasionally  immolate  themselves,  and  that  with  the  gen- 
eral approval. 

"  I  wish  I  had  an  army  of  ten  thousand  English  ladies 
all  speaking  the  language  well  to  go  about  among  the 
women  and  make  friends  with  them;  there  would  be  more 
good  done  in  that  way  than  by  all  the  officials  in  India. 
They  might  not  be  able  to  emancipate  themselves  from  all 
their  restrictions,  but  they  might  influence  their  children, 
and  in  time  pave  the  way  for  a  moral  revolution.  But  it 
is  ridiculous,"  he  said,  breaking  off  suddenly,  "  my  talking 
like  this  here,  but  you  see  it  is  what  you  call  my  line,  my 
hobby,  if  you  like;  but  when  one  sees  this  hard-working, 
patient,  gentle  people  making  their  lot  so  much  harder 
than  it  need  be  by  their  customs  and  observances  one 


RUJVB,   THE  JUGGLER.  .       89 

longs  to  force  them  even  against  their  own  will  to  burst 
their  bonds." 

Dr.  Wade  came  up  at  this  moment  and  caught  the  last 
word  or  two. 

"  You  are  incorrigible,  Bathurst.  Miss  Hannay,  I 
warn  you  that  this  man  is  a  monomaniac.  I  drag  him 
away  from  his  work,  and  here  he  is  discoursing  with  you 
on  reform  just  as  a  race  is  going  to  start.  You  may 
imagine,  my  dear,  what  a  thorn  he  is  in  the  side  of  the 
big-wigs.  You  have  heard  of  Talleyrand's  advice  to  a 
young  official,  'Above  all  things,  no  zeal/  Go  away, 
Bathurst;  Miss  Hannay 'wants  to  see  the  race,  and  even 
if  she  doesn't  she  is  powerless  to  assist  you  in  your 
crusade." 

Bathurst  laughed  and  drew  off. 

"  That  is  too  bad,  Doctor.  I  was  very  interested.  I 
like  to  talk  to  people  who  can  think  of  something  besides 
races  and  balls  and  the  gossip  of  the  station." 

"  Yes,  in  reason,  in  reason,  my  dear;  but  there  is  a 
medium  in  all  things.  I  have  no  doubt  Bathurst  will  be 
quite  happy  some  time  or  other  to  give  you  his  full  views 
on  child  marriages,  and  the  remarriages  of  widows,  and 
female  education,  and  the  land  settlement,  and  a  score  of 
other  questions,  but  for  this  a  few  weeks  of  perfect  leisure 
will  be  required.  Seriously,  you  know  that  I  think 
Bathurst  one  of  the  finest  young  fellows  in  the  service, 
but  his  very  earnestness  injures  both  his  prospects  and  his 
utility.  The  officials  have  a  horror  of  enthusiasm;  they 
like  the  cut-and-dried  subordinate  who  does  his  duty  con- 
scientiously, and  does  not  trouble  his  head  about  anything 
but  carrying  out  the  regulations  laid  down  for  him. 

"  Theoretically  I  agree  with  most  of  Bathurst's  views, 
practically  I  see  that  a  score  of  officials  like  him  would 
excite  a  revolution  throughout  a  whole  province.  In 
India,  of  all  places  in  the  world,  the  maxim  festina  lente — 
go  slow — is  applicable.  You  have  the  prejudices  of  a 
couple  of  thousand  years  against  change.  The  people  of 
all  things  are  jealous  of  the  slightest  appearance  of  inter- 
ference with  their  customs.  The  change  will  no  doubt 
come  in  time,  but  it  must  come  gradually,  and  must  be 
ALe  work  of  the  natives  themselves  and  not  of  us.  To  try 


90   '  RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER. 

to  hasten  that  time  would  be  but  to  defer  it.  Now,  child, 
there  is  the  bell;  now  just  attend  to  the  business  in  hand/* 

"  Very  well,  Doctor,  I  will  obey  your  orders,  but  it  is 
only  fair  to  say  that  Mr.  Bathurst's  remarks  are  only  in. 
answer  to  something  I  said,"  and  Isobel  turned  to  watch 
the  race,  but  with  an  interest  less  ardent  than  she  had 
before  felt. 

Isobel's  character  was  an  essentially  earnest  one,  and 
her  life  up  to  the  day  of  her  departure  to  India  had  been 
.  one  of  few  pleasures.  She  had  enjoyed  the  change  and 
had  entered  heartily  into  it,  and  she  was  as  yet  by  no 
means  tired  of  it,  but  she  had  upon  her  arrival  at  Cawn- 
pore  been  a  little  disappointed  that  there  was  no  definite 
work  for  her  to  perform,  and  had  already  begun  to  feel 
that  a  time  would  come  when  she  would  want  something 
more  than  gossip  and  amusements  and  the  light  talk  of 
the  officers  of  her  acquaintance  to  fill  her  life. 

She  had  as  yet  no  distinct  interest  of  her  own,  and 
Bathurst's  earnestness  had  struck  a  cord  in  her  own 
nature  and  seemed  to  open  a  wide  area  for  thought.  She 
put  it  aside  now  and  chatted  gayly  with  the  Hunters  and 
those  who  came  up  to  the  carriage,  but  it'  came  back  to 
her  as  she  sat  in  her  room  before  going  to  bed. 

Up  till  now  she  had  not  heard  a  remark  since  she  had 
been  in  Cawnpore  that  might  not  have  been  spoken  had 
the  cantonments  there  been  the  whole  of  India,  except 
that  persons  at  other  stations  were  mentioned.  The  vast, 
seething  native  population  were  no  more  alluded  to  than 
if  they  were  a  world  apart.  Bathurst's  words  had  for  the 
first  time  brought  home  to  her  the  reality  of  their  exist- 
ence, and  that  around  this  little  group  of  English  men 
and  women  lay  a  vast  population,  with  their  joys  and 
sorrows  and  sufferings. 

At  breakfast  she  surprised  Mrs.  Hunter  by  asking  a 
variety  of  questions  as  to  native  customs.  "I  suppose 
you  have  often  been  in  the  Zenanas,  Mrs.  Hunter?  " 

"Not  often,  my  dear.  I  have  been  in  some  of  them, 
and  very  depressing  it  is  to  see  how  childish  and  ignorant 
the  women  are." 

"  Can  nothing  be  done  for  them,  Mrs.  Hunter?  " 

"Very  little.     In  time  I  suppose  there  will  be  schools 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER.  91 

for  girls,  but  you  see  they  marry  so  young  that  it  is  diffi- 
cult to  get  at  them." 

"  How  young  do  they  marry?  " 

"  They  are  betrothed,  although  it  has  all  the  force  of  a 
marriage,  as  infants,  and  a  girl  can  be  a  widow  at  two  or 
three  years  old;  and  so,  poor  little  thing,  she  remains  to 
the  end  of  her  life  in  a  position  little  better  than  that  of 
a  servant  in  her  husband's  family.  Really  they  are  mar- 
ried at  ten  or  eleven." 

Isobel  looked  amazed  at  this  her  first  insight  into 
native  life.  Mrs.  Hunter  smiled. 

"  I  heard  Mr.  Bathurst  saying  something  to  you  about 
it  yesterday,  Miss  Hannay.  He  is  an  enthusiast;  we  like 
him  very  much,  but  we  don't  see  much  of  him." 

"  You  must  beware  of  him,  Miss  Hannay,"  Mr.  Hunter 
said,  "  or  he  will  inoculate  you  with  some  of  his  fads.  I 
do  not  say  that  he  is  not  right,  but  he  sees  the  immensity 
of  the  need  for  change,  but  does  not  see  fully  the  immen- 
sity of  the  difficulty  in  bringing  it  about." 

"  There  is  no  fear  of  his  inoculating  me;  that  is  to  say, 
of  setting  me  to  work,  for  what  could  one  woman  do  ?  " 

"  Nothing,  my  dear,"  her  uncle  said;  "  if  all  the  white 
women  in  India  threw  themselves  into  the  work,  they 
could  do  little.  The  natives  are  too  jealous  of  what  they 
consider  intruders;  the  Parsees  are  about  the  only  pro- 
gressive people.  While  ladies  are  welcome  enough  when 
they  pay  a  visit  of  ceremony  to  the  Zenana  of  a  native, 
if  they  were  to  try  to  teach  their  wives  to  be  discontented 
with  their  lots — for  that  is  what  it  would  be — they  would 
be  no  longer  welcome.  Schools  are  being  established,  but 
at  present  these  are  but  a  drop  in  the  ocean.  Still,  the 
work  does  go  on,  and  in  time  something  will  be  done.  It 
is  of  no  use  bothering  yourself  about  it,  Isobel;  it  is  best 
to  take  matters  as  you  find  them." 

Isobel  made  no  answer,  but  she  was  much  disappointed 
when  Dr.  Wade,  dropping  in  to  tiffin,  said  his  guest  had 
started  two  hours  before  for  Deennugghur.  He  had  a 
batch  of  letters  and  reports  from  his  native  clerk,  and 
there  was  something  or  other  that  he  said  he  must  see  to 
at  once. 

"  He  begged  me  to  say,  Major,  that  he  was  very  sorry 


g$  RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER. 

to  go  off  without  saying  good-by,  but  he  hoped  to  be  in 
Cawnpore  before  long.  I  own  that  that  part  of  the  mes- 
sage astonished  me,  knowing  as  I  do  what  difficulty  there 
is  in  getting  him  out  of  his  shell.  He  and  I  became  great 
chums  when  I  was  over  at  Deennugghur  two  years  ago, 
and  the  young  fellow  is  not  given  to  making  friends. 
However,  as  he  is  not  the  man  to  say  a  thing  without 
meaning  it?  I  suppose  he  intends  to  come  over  again. 
He  knows  there  is  always  a  bed  for  him  in  my  place." 

"  We  see  very  little  of  him,"  Mary  Hunten  said;  "  he  is 
always  away  on  horseback  all  day.  Sometimes  he  comes 
in  the  evening  when  we  are  quite  alone,  but  he  will  never 
stay  long.  He  always  excuses  himself  on  the  ground  that 
he  has  a  report  to  write  or  something  of  that  sort.  Amy 
and  I  call  him  '  Timon  of  Athens/  " 

"There  is  nothing  of  Timon  about  him,"  the  Doctor 
remarked  dogmatically.  "  That  is  the  way  with  you 
young  ladies — you  think  that  a  man's  first  business  in  life 
is  to  be  dancing  attendance  on  you.  Bathurst  looks  at 
life  seriously,  and  no  wonder,  going  about  as  he  does 
among  the  natives  and  listening  to  their  stories  and  com- 
plaints. He  puts  his  hand  to  the  plow,  and  does  not 
turn  to  the  right  or  left." 

"  Still,  Doctor,  you  must  allow,"  Mrs.  Hunter  eaid 
gravely,  "  that  Mr.  Bathurst  is  not  like  most  other  men." 

u  Certainly  not,"  the  Doctor  remarked.  "  He  takes  no 
interest  in  sport  of  any  kind;  he  does  not  care  for  society; 
he  very  rarely  goes  to  the  club,  and  never  touches  a  card 
when  he  does;  and  yet  he  is  the  sort  of  man  one  would 
think  would  throw  himself  into  what  is  going  on.  He  is 
a  strong,  active,  healthy  man,  whom  one  would  expect  to 
excel  in  all  sorts  of  sports;  he  is  certainly  good-looking; 
he  talks  extremely  well,  and  is,  I  should  say,  very  well 
read  and  intelligent." 

"  He  can  be  very  amusing  when  he  likes,  Doctor.  Once 
or  twice  when  he  has  been  with  us  he  has  seemed  to  forget 
himself,  as  it  were,  and  was  full  of  fun  and  life.  You 
must  allow  that  it  is  a  little  singular  that  a  man  like  this 
should  altogether  avoid  society,  and  night  and  day  be 
absorbed  in  his  work." 

"  I  have  thought  sometimes,"  Mr.  Hunter  said,  "  that 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER.  93 

Bathnrst  must  have  had  some  great  trouble  in  his  life. 
Of  what  nature  I  can,  of  course,  form  no  idea.  He  was 
little  more  than  twenty  when  he  came  out  here,  so  I 
should  say  that  it  was  hardly  a  love  affair." 

"  That  is  always  the  way,  Hunter.  If  a  man  goes  his 
own  way,  and  that  way  does  not  happen  to  be  the  way  of 
the  mess,  it  is  supposed  that  he  must  have  had  trouble  of 
some  sort.  As  Bathurst  is  the  son  of  a  distinguished 
soldier,  and  is  now  the  owner  of  a  fine  property  at  home, 
I  don't  see  what  trouble  he  can  have  had.  He  may  possi- 
bly, for  anything  I  know,  have  had  some  boyish  love 
affairs,  but  I  don't  think  he  is  the  sort  of  man  to  allow  his 
whole  life  to  be  affected  by  any  foolery  of  that  sort.  He 
ie  simply  an  enthusiast. 

"  It  is  good  for  mankind  that  there  should  be  some 
enthusiasts.  I  grant  that  it  would  be  an  unpleasant 
world  if  we  were  all  enthusiasts,  but  the  sight  of  a  man 
Hke  him  throwing  his  whole  life  and  energy  into  his  work, 
and  wearing  himself  out  trying  to  lessen  the  evils  he  sees 
around  him,  ought  to  do  good  to  us  all.  Look  at  these 
boys,"  and  he  apostrophized  Wilson  and  Eichards,  as  they 
appeared  together  at  the  door.  "  What  do  they  think  of 
but  amusing  themselves  and  shirking  their  duties  as  far 
as  possible?  " 

"  Oh,  I  say,  Doctor,"  Wilson  exclaimed,  astonished  at 
this  sudden  attack,  "  what  are  you  pitching  into  us  like 
that  for?  That  is  not  fair,  is  it,  Major?  We  amuse 
ourselves,  of  course,  when  there  is  nothing  else  to  do, 
but  I  am  sure  we  don't  shirk  our  work.  You  don't 
want  us  to  spend  our  spare  time  in  reading  Greek,  I 
suppose?" 

"  No;  but  you  might  spend  some  of  it  very  profitably  in 
learning  some  of  these  native  languages,"  the  Doctor  said. 
"  I  don't  believe  that  you  know  above  a  dozen  native 
words  now.  You  can  shout  for  brandy  and  water,  and 
for  a  light  for  your  cigars,  but  I  fancy  that  that  is  about 
the  extent  of  it." 

"  We  are  going  to  have  a  moonshee  next  week,  Doctor," 
Wilson  said,  a  little  crestfallen,  "  and  a  horrid  nuisance 
it  will  be." 

"That  is  only  because  you  are  obliged  to  pass  in  the 


94  RVJUB,   THE  JUGGLER. 

vernacular,  Wilson.  So  you  need  not  take  any  credit  to 
yourself  on  that  account." 

"  Doctor,  you  are  in  one  of  your  worst  possible  tempera 
this  morning,"  Isobel  said.  "  You  snap  at  us  all  round. 
You  are  quite  intolerable  this  morning." 

"  I  am  rather  put  out  by  Bathurst  running  away  in  this 
fashion,  Miss  Hannay.  I  had  made  up  my  mind  that  he 
would  stop  three  or  four  days  longer,  and  it  is  pleasant 
to  have  someone  who  can  talk  and  think  about  something 
besides  horses  and  balls.  But  I  will  go  away;  I  don't 
want  to  be  the  disturbing  element;  and  I  have  no  doubt 
that  "Richards  is  burning  to  tell  you  the  odds  on  some  of 
the  horses  to-day." 

"Shall  we  see  you  on  the  racecourse,  Doctor?"  the 
Major  asked,  as  the  Doctor  moved  towards  the  door. 

"  You  will  not,  Major;  one  day  is  enough  for  me.  If 
they  would  get  up  a  donkey  race  confined  strictly  to  the 
subalterns  of  the  station,  I  might  take  the  trouble  to  go 
and  look  at  it." 

"  The  Doctor  is  in  great  form  to-day,"  Wilson  said 
good-temperedly,  after  the  laugh  which  followed  the 
Doctor's  exit  had  subsided;  "  and  I  am  sure  we  did  noth- 
ing to  provoke  him." 

"  You  got  into  his  line  of  fire,  Wilson,"  the  Major  said; 
"  he  is  explosive  this  morning,  and  has  been  giving  it  to 
us  all  round.  However,  nobody  minds  what  the  Doctor 
says;  his  bark  is  very  bad,  but  he  has  no  bite.  Wait  till 
you  are  down  with  the  fever,  and  you  will  find  him  devote 
himself  to  you  as  if  he  were  your  father." 

"  He  is  one  of  the  kindest  men  in  the  world,"  Isobel 
agreed  warmly,  thereby  effectually  silencing  Richards, 
who  had  just  pulled  up  his  shirt  collar  preparatory  to  a 
sarcastic  utterance  respecting  him. 

Isobel,  indeed,  was  in  full  sympatlry  with  the  Doctor, 
for  she,  too,  was  disappointed  at  Bathurst's  sudden  de- 
parture. She  had  looked  forward  to  learning  a  good 
deal  from  him  about  the  native  customs  and  ways,  and 
had  intended  to  have  a  long  talk  with  him.  She  was 
perhaps,  too,  more  interested  generally  in  the  man  him- 
self than  she  would  have  been  willing  to  admit. 

That  evening  the  party  went  to  an  entertainment  at 


EUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  95 

Bithoor.  Isobel  and  the  girls  were  delighted  with  the 
illuminations  of  the  gardens  and  with  the  palace  itself, 
with  its  mixture  of  Eastern  splendor  and  European 
luxury.  But  Isobel  did  not  altogether  enjoy  the 
evening. 

"  I  suppose  I  ought  to  congratulate  you  on  your  snecess 
last  night,  Isobel/''  Dr.  Wade  said,  when  he  dropped  in 
after  breakfast.  "  Everyone  has  been  telling  me  that  the 
Rajah  paid  you  the  greatest  attention,  and  that  there  is 
the  fiercest  gnashing  of  teeth  among  what  must  now  be 
called  the  ex-queens  of  the  station." 

"  I  don't  know  who  told  you  such  nonsense,  Doctor," 
Isobel  replied  hotly.  "  The  Rajah  quite  spoilt  the  even- 
ing for  me.  I  have  been  telling  Mrs.  Hunter  so.  If  we 
had  not  been  in  his  own  house,  I  should  have  told  him 
that  I  should  enjoy  the  evening  very  much  more  if  he 
would  leave  me  alone  and  let  me  go  about  and  look  quietly 
at  the  place  and  the  gardens,  which  are  really  beautiful. 
No  doubt  he  is  pleasant  enough,  and  I  suppose  I  ought  to 
have  felt  flattered  at  his  walking  about  with  me  and  so  on? 
but  I  am  sure  I  did  not.  What  pleasure  does  he  suppose 
an  English  girl  can  have  in  listening  to  elaborate' com- 
pliments from  a  man  as  yellow  as  a  guinea?  " 
"  Think  of  his  wealth,  my  dear." 

"  What  difference  does  his  wealth  make?  "  Isobel  said. 
"As  far  as  I  have  seen,  I  do  not  think  that  rich  English- 
men are  more  amusing  than  others,  and  if  he  had  all  the 
wealth  of  India,  that  would  not  improve  Nana  Sahib  in 
my  eyes.  There  are  women,  of  course,  who  do  think  a 
great  deal  about  money,  and  who  will  even  marry  men  for 
it,  but  even  women  who  would  do  that  could  not,  I  should 
think,  care  anything  about  the  wealth  of  a  Hindoo  they 
cannot  marry." 

"  Not  directly,  my  dear,"  Mrs.  Hunter  said;  "  but 
people  may  be  flattered  with  the  notice  and  admiration 
of  a  person  of  importance  and  great  wealth,  even  if  he  is 
a  Hindoo." 

"  Besides,"  the  Doctor  put  in,  "  the  Rajah  is  considered 
to  be  a  great  connoisseur  of  English  beauty,  and  has  fre- 
quently expressed  hi°  deep  regret  that  his  religion  pre- 
vented his  marrying  an  English  lady." 


W  RUJUBi  THE  JUGGLER. 

"  I  should  be  very  sorry  for  the  English  girl  who  would 
marry  him,  religion  or  not." 

"  I  think  you  are  rather  hard  upon  the  Nana,  Isobel," 
the  Major  said.  "  He  is  a  general  favorite;  he  is  open- 
handed  and  liberal;  very  fond  of  entertaining;  a  great 
admirer  of  us  as  a  nation.  He  is  a  wonderfully  well-read 
man  for  a  Hindoo,  can  talk  upon  almost  every  subject, 
and  is  really  a  pleasant  fellow." 

"  I  don't  like  him;  I  don't  like  him  at  all,"  Isobel  said 
positively. 

"  Ah,  that  is  only  because  you  thought  he  made  you  a 
little  more  conspicuous  than  you  liked  by  his  attentions 
to  you,  Isobel/' 

"  No,  indeed,  uncle;  that  was  very  silly  and  ridiculous, 
but  I  did  not  like  the  man  himself,  putting  that  aside 
altogether.  It  was  like  talking  to  a  man  with  a  mask  on; 
it  gave  me  a  creepy  feeling.  It  did  not  seem  to  me  that 
one  single  word  he  said  was  sincere,  but  that  he  was  act- 
ing; and  over  and  over  again  as  he  was  talking  I  said  to 
myself,  *  What  is  this  man  really  like?  I  know  he  is  not 
the  least  bit  in  the  world  what  he  pretends  to  be.  But 
what  is  the  reality? '  I  felt  just  the  same  as  I  should  if 
I  had  one  of  those  great  snakes  they  bring  to  our  veranda 
coiling  round  me.  The  creature  might  look  quiet  enough, 
but  I  should  know  that  if  it  were  to  tighten  it  would  crush 
me  in  a  moment." 

The  Major  and  Mrs.  Hunter  both  laughed  at  her 
earnestness,  but  the  Doctor  said  gravely,  "  Is  that  really 
how  you  felt  about  him  when  he  was  talking  to  you,  Miss 
Hannay?  I  am  sorry  to  hear  you  say  that.  I  own  that 
my  opinion  has  been  that  of  everyone  here,  that  the  Rajab 
is  a  good  fellow  and  a  firm  friend  of  the  Europeans,  and 
my  only  doubt  has  arisen  from  the  fact  that  it  was  un- 
natural he  should  like  us  when  he  has  considerable 
grounds  for  grievance  against  us.  We  have  always  relied 
upon  his  influence,  which  is  great  among  his  countrymen, 
being  thrown  entirely  into  the  scale  on  our  side  if  any 
trouble  should  ever  arise;  but  I  own  that  what  you  say 
makes  me  doubt  him.  I  would  always  take  the  opinion 
of  a  dog  or  a  child  about  anyone  in  preference  to  mj 
own." 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER.  gf 

"Yon  are  not  very  complimentary,  Doctor/'  Isobel 
laughed. 

"  Well,  my  dear,  a  young  girl  who  has  not  mixed  much 
in  the  world  and  had  her  instincts  blunted  is  in  that 
respect  very  much  like  a  child.  She  may  be  deceived,  and 
constantly  is  deceived  where  her  heart  is  concerned,  and  is 
liable  to  be  taken  in  by  any  plausible  scoundrel;  but  where 
her  heart  is  not  concerned  her  instincts  are  true.  When 
I  see  children  and  dogs  stick  to  a  man  I  am  convinced 
that  he  is  all  right,  though  I  may  not  personally  have 
taken  to  him.  When  I  see  a  dog  put  his  tail  between  his 
legs  and  decline  to  accept  the  advances  of  a  man,  and 
when  I  see  children  slip  away  from  him  as  soon  as  they 
can,  I  distrust  him  at  once,  however  pleasant  a  fellow  he 
may  be.  As  the  Eajah,  from  all  I  heard,  certainly  laid 
himself  out  to  be  agreeable  to  you  last  night,  and  yet  in 
spite  of  that  you  felt  as  you  say  you  did  about  him,  I  am 
bound  to  say  that  without  at  once  admitting  that  my  im- 
pressions about  him  were  wrong,  I  consider  that  there  is 
good  ground  for  thinking  the  matter  over  again." 

"What  nonsense,  Doctor,"  the*  Major  laughed. 
"Everyone  here  has  known  the  Rajah  for  years.  He  is 
a  most  popular  man,  everyone  likes  him,  among  the  ladies 
especially  he  is  a  great  favorite.  It  is  ridiculous  to  sug- 
gest that  everyone  should  have  been  wrong  about  him, 
merely  because  Isobel  takes  a  prejudice  against  him,  and 
that  as  far  as  I  can  see  is  simply  because  his  admiration 
for  her  was  somewhat  marked." 

Isobel  gave  a  little  shudder.  "Don't  talk  about  ad- 
miration, uncle;  that  is  not  the  word  for  it;  I  don't  know 
what  it  was  like.  They  say  snakes  fascinate  birds  before 
they  eat  them  by  fixing  their  eyes  upon  them.  I  should 
say  it  was  something  of  that  sort  of  look." 

"  Well,  my  dear,  he  is  not  going  to  eat  you,  that  is  cer- 
tain," the  Major  said;  "and  I  can  assure  you  that  his 
approbation  goes  for  a  great  deal  here,  and  that  after 
this  you  will  go  up  several  pegs  in  Cawnpore  society." 

Isobel  tossed  her  head.  "  Then  I  am  sorry  for  Cawn- 
pore society;  it  is  a  matter  of  entire  indifference  to  me 
whether  I  go  up  or  down  in  its  opinion." 

A  fortnight  later  the  Nana  gave  another  entertainment. 


98  RVJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

A  good  deal  to  her  uncle's  vexation,  Isobel  refused  to  go 
when  the  time  came. 

"  But  what  am  I  to  say,  my  dear?  "  he  asked  in  some 
perplexity. 

"  You  can  say  anything  you  like,  uncle;  you  can  say 
that  I  am  feeling  the  heat  and  have  got  a  bad  headache, 
which  is  true;  or  you  can  say  that  I  don't  care  for  gayety, 
which  is  also  true.  I  shall  be  very  much  more  comforta- 
ble and  happy  at  home  by  myself." 

The  Hunters  had  by  this  time  returned  to  Deennug"- 
ghur,  and  the  Major  drove  over  to  Bithoor  accompanied 
only  by  Dr.  Wade.  He  was  rather  surprised  when  the 
Doctor  said  he  would  go,  as  it  was  very  seldom  that  he 
went  out  to  such  entertainments. 

"  I  am  not  going  to  amuse  myself,  Major;  I  want  to 
have  a  good  look  at  the  Nana  again;  I  am  not  comfortable 
since  Isobel  gave  us  her  opinion  of  him.  He  is  an  im- 
portant personage,  and  if  there  is  any  truth  in  these 
rumors  about  disaffection  among  the  Sepoys  his  friend- 
ship may  be  of  the  greatest  assistance  to  us/' 

So  the  Doctor  was  with  Major  Hannay  when  the  latter 
made  his  excuses  for  Isobel's  absence  on  the  ground  that 
she  was  not  feeling  very  well. 

The  Nana  expressed  great  regret  at  the  news,  and  said 
that  with  the  Major's  permission  he  would  call  in  the 
morning  to  inquire  after  Miss  Hannay's  health. 

"  He  did  not  like  it,"  the  Doctor  said,  when  they  had 
strolled  away  together.  "  He  was  very  civil  and  polite, 
but  I  could  see  that  he  was  savage.  I  fancy  he  got  up 
this  fete  principally  in  her  honor.  It  is  not  often  he  has 
two  so  close  together." 

"  Oh,  that  is  nonsense,  Doctor." 

"  I  don't  think  so.  He  has  done  the  same  sort  of  thing 
several  times  before,  when  he  has  been  specially  taken  by 
some  fresh  face  from  England." 

Others  besides  the  Doctor  remarked  that  the  Rajah  was 
not  quite  himself  that  evening.  He  was  courteous  and 
polite  to  his  guests,  but  he  was  irritable  with  his  own 
people,  and  something  had  evidently  gone  wrong  with 
him. 

The  next  day  he  called  at  the  Major's.    The  latter  had 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER.  9£ 

not  told  Isobel  of  his  intention,  for  he  guessed  that  had 
he  done  so  she  would  have  gone  across  to  Mrs.  Doolan 
or  one  of  her  lady  friends,  and  she  was  sitting  in  the 
veranda  with  him  and  young  Wilson  when  the  carriage 
drove  up. 

"  I  was  so  sorry  to  hear  that  you  were  unwell,  Mies 
Hannay,"  the  Nana  said  courteously.  "  It  was  a  great 
disappointment  to  me  that  you  were  unable  to  accompany 
your  uncle  last  night." 

"  I  have  been  feeling  the  heat  the  last  few  days,"  Isobel 
said  quietly,  "  and,  indeed,  I  do  not  care  much  about 
going  out  in  such  hot  weather  as  this.  I  have  not 
been  accustomed  to  much  society  in  England,  and 
the  crowd  and  the  heat  and  the  lights  make  my  head 
ache." 

"  You  look  the  picture  of  health,  Miss  Hannay,  but  I 
know  that  it  is  try4ng  for  Englishwomen  when  they  first 
come  into  our  climate;  it  is  always  a  great  pleasure  to  me 
to  receive  English  ladies  at  Bithoor.  I  hope  upon  the 
next  occasion  you  will  be  able  to  come." 

"  I  am  much  obliged  to  your  highness,"  she  said,  "  but 
it  would  be  a  truer  kindness  to  let  me  stay  quietly  at 
home." 

"  But  that  is  selfish  of  you,  Miss  Hannay.  You  should 
think  a  little  of  the  pleasure  of  others  as  well  as  your 
own." 

"  I  am  not  conceited  enough  to  suppose  that  it  could 
make  any  difference  to  other  people's  pleasure  whether  I 
am  at  a  party  or  not,"  Isobel  said.  "  I  suppose  you  mean 
that  as  a  compliment,  Rajah,  but  I  am  not  accustomed  to 
compliments,  and  don't  like  them." 

"  You  will  have  to  learn  to  become  accustomed  to  com- 
pliments, Miss  Hannay,"  the  Eajah  said,  with  a  smilr; 
and  then  turning  to  the  Doctor,  began  to  tell  him  of.  fc 
tiger  that  had  been  doing  a  great  deal  of  harm  at  a  village 
some  thirty  miles  away,  and  offered  to  send  some  ele- 
phants over  to  organize  a  hunt  for  him  if  he  liked,  an 
invitation  that  the  Doctor  promptly  accepted. 

The  visit  was  but  a  short  one.  The  Rajah  soon  took 
his  leave. 

"You  are  wrong  altogether^  Isobel,"  the  Doctor  said. 


100  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER 

"I  have  returned  to  my  conviction  that  the  Rajah  is  a 
first-rate  fellow." 

"  That  is  just  because  he  offered  you  some  shooting, 
Doctor,"  Isobel  said  indignantly.  "  I  thought  better  of 
you  than  to  suppose  that  you  could  be  bought  over  BO 
easily  as  that." 

"  She  had  you  there,  Doctor,"  the  Major  laughed. 
"  However,  I  am  glad  that  you  will  no  longer  be  backing 
her  in  her  fancies." 

"  Why  did  you  accept  his  invitation  for  us  to  go  over 
and  lunch  there,  uncle?"  Isobel  asked,  in  a  tone  of 
annoyance. 

"  Because  there  was  no  reason  in  the  world  why  \re 
should  refuse,  my  dear.  He  very  often  has  luncheon 
parties,  and  after  that  he  will  show  you  over  the  place, 
and  exhibit  his  jewels  and  curiosities.  He  said  there 
would  be  other  ladies  there,  and  I  have  no  doubt  we  shall 
have  a  very  pleasant  day." 

Even  Isobel  was  obliged  to  confess  that  the  visit  was  a 
pleasant  one.  The  Nana  had  asked  Mrs.  Cromarty,  her 
daughters,  and  most  of  the  other  ladies  of  the  regiment, 
with  their  husbands.  The  lunch  was  a  banquet,  and  after 
it  was  over  the  parties  were  taken  round  the  place,  paid 
a  visit  to  the  Zenana,  inspected  the  gardens  and  stables, 
and  were  driven  through  the  park.  The  Nana  saw  that 
Isobel  objected  to  be  particularly  noticed,  and  had  the 
tact  to  make  his  attentions  so  general  that  even  she  could 
find  no  fault  with  him. 

On  the  drive  back  she  admitted  to  her  uncle  that  she 
had  enjoyed  her  visit  very  much,  and  that  the  Eajah'a 
manners  were  those  of  a  perfect  gentleman. 

"  But  mind,  uncle,"  she  said,  "  I  do  not  retract  my 
opinion.  What  the  Eajah  really  is  I  don't  pretend  to 
know,  but  I  am  quite  sure  that  the  character  of  a  smiling 
host  is  not  his  real  one,  and  that  for  some  reason  or  other 
he  is  simply  playing  a  part." 

"  I  had  no  idea  that  you  were  such  a  prejudiced  little 
Troman,"  the  Major  said,  somewhat  vexed;  "  but  as  it  is  no 
use  arguing  with  you  we  had  better  drop  the  subject." 

For  the  next  month  Cawnpore  suffered  a  little  from  th* 
reaction  after  the  gayety  of  the  races,  but  there  was  no 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER.  101 

lack  of  topics  of  conversation,  for  the  rumors  of  disaffec- 
tion among  the  troops  gained  in  strength,  and  although 
nothing  positive  was  known,  and  everyone  scoffed  at  the 
notion  of  any  serious  trouble,  the  subject  was  so  impor- 
tant a  one  that  little  else  was  talked  of  whenever  parties 
of  the  ladies  got  together. 


CHAPTER  VIIL 

"I  HAVE  some  bad  news,  Isobel.  At  least  I  suppose 
you  will  consider  it  bad  news,"  the  Major  said  one  morn- 
ing, when  he  returned  from  the  orderly  room.  "  You 
heard  me  say  that  four  companies  were  going  to  relieve 
those  at  Deennugghur.  Well,  I  am  going  with  them.  It 
seems  that  the  General  is  of  opinion  that  in  the  present 
unsettled  state  of  affairs  there  ought  to  be  a  field-officer 
in  command  there,  so  I  have  to  go.  For  myself  I  don't 
mind,  but  you  will  find  it  dull  in  a  small  station  like  that, 
after  the  gayeties  of  Cawnpore." 

"  I  don't  mind  a  bit,  uncle,  in  that  respect.  I  don't 
think  I  care  much  for  gayeties,  but  of  course  the  move 
will  be  a  trouble.  We  have  everything  so  nice  here,  it 
will  be  horrid  having  to  leave  it  all.  How  long  will  it 
be  for?  " 

"  Six  months,  in  the  ordinary  state  of  things,  though  of 
course  something  may  occur  to  bring  us  in  before  that. 
Still,  the  change  won't  be  as  much  trouble  as  you  fancy. 
When  we  get  there  you  can  stay  for  two  or  three  days 
with  the  Hunters  till  we  have  got  the  things  to  rights. 
There  is  one  thing  that  you  will  be  pleased  about.  Wade 
is  going  with  us,  at  any  rate  for  the  present;  you  are  a 
favorite  of  his,  you  know,  and  I  think  that  is  the  principal 
reason  for  his  going.  At  any  rate,  when  he  heard  I  was 
in  orders,  he  told  the  Colonel  that,  as  there  was  no  illness 
in  the  regiment,  he  thought,  if  he  did  not  object,  he  would 
change  places  for  a  bit  with  M'Alaster,  the  assistant- 
surgeon,  who  has  been  with  the  detachment  at  Deennug- 
ghur for  the  last  year,  so  as  to  give  him  a  turn  of  duty 
at  Cawnpore,  and  do  a  little  shikaring  himself.  There  is 
more  jungle  and  better  shooting  round  Deennugghur 


102  RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER. 

than  there  is  here,  and  you  know  the  Doctor  is  an  enthu- 
siast that  way.  0  f  course,  the  Colonel  agreed  at  once." 

"  I  am  very  glad  of  that,  uncle;  it  won't  seem  like  going 
to  a  strange  place  if  we  have  him  with  us,  and  the  Hun- 
ters there,  and  I  suppose  three  or  four  officers  of  the 
regiment.  Who  are  going?  " 

"  Both  your  boys,"  the  Major  laughed,  "  and  Doolan 
and  Kintoul." 

"  When  do  we  go,  uncle?  " 

"  Next  Monday.  I  shall  get  somebody  to  put  us  up 
from  Friday,  and  that  morning  we  will  get  everything 
dismantled  here,  and  send  them  off  by  bullock  carts  with 
the  servants  to  Deennugghur,  so  that  they  will  be  there 
by  Monday  morning.  I  will  write  to  Hunter  to  pick  us 
out  the  best  of  the  empty  bungalows,  and  see  that  our 
fellows  get  to  work  to  clean  the  place  up  as  soon  as  they 
arrive.  We  shall  be  two  days  on  the  march,  and  things 
will  be  pretty  forward  by  the  time  we  get  there." 

"  And  where  shall  we  sleep  on  the  march  ?  " 

"  In  tents,  my  dear,  and  very  comfortable  you  will  find 
them.  Rumzan  will  go  with  us,  and  you  will  find  every- 
thing go  on  as  smoothly  as  if  you  were  here.  Tent  life 
in  India  is  very  pleasant.  Next  year,  in  the  cool  season, 
we  will  do  an  excursion  somewhere,  and  I  am  sure  you  will 
find  it  delightful:  they  don't  know  anything  about  the 
capabilities  of  tents  at  home." 

"  Then  do  I  quite  understand,  uncle,  that  all  I  have 
got  to  do  is  to  make  a  round  of  calls  to  say  good-by  to 
everyone?" 

"  That  is  all.  You  will  find  a  lot  of  my  cards  in  one  of 
those  pigeon-holes;  you  may  as  well  drop  one  wherever 
you  go.  Shall  I  order  a  carriage  from  Framjee's  for  to- 
day?" 

"  No,  I  think  not,  uncle;  I  will  go  round  to  our  own 
bungalows  first,  and  hear  what  Mrs.  Doolan  and  the 
others  think  about  it." 

At  Mrs.  Doolan's  Isobel  found  quite  an  assembly. 
Mrs.  Rintoul  had  come  in  almost  in  tears,  and  the  two 
young  lieutenants  had  dropped  in  with  Captain  Doolan, 
while  one  or  two  other  officers  had  come  round  to  com- 
miserate with  Mrs.  Doolan. 


RUJL'B,   THE  JUGGLER.  103 

"Another  victim,"  the  latter  said,  as  Isohel  entered. 
"  You  look  too  cheerful,  Miss  Hannay.  I  find  that  we  are 
expected  to  wear  sad  countenances  at  our  approaching 
banishment." 

"  Are  we,  Mrs.  Doolan?  It  seems  to  me  that  it  won't 
make  very  much  difference  to  us." 

"  Not  make  any  difference,  Miss  Hannay ! "  Captain 
Doolan  said.  "  Why,  Deennugghur  is  one  of  the  dullest 
little  stations  on  this  side  of  India! " 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  dull,  Captain  Doolan?  " 

"  Why,  there  are  only  about  six  white  residents  there 
besides  the  troops.  Of  course,  as  four  companies  are 
going  instead  of  one,  it  will  make  a  difference;  but  there 
will  be  no  gayety,  no  excitement,  and  really  nothing' 
to  do." 

"  As  for  the  gayety,  I  am  sure  I  shall  not  regret  it,  Cap- 
tain Doolan;  besides,  our  gayeties  are  pretty  well  over, 
except,  of  course,  dinner-parties,  and  it  is  getting  very 
hot  for  them.  We  shall  get  off  having  to  go  out  in  the 
heat  of  the  day  to  make  calls,  which  seem  to  me  terrible 
afflictions,  and  I  think  with  a  small  party  it  ought  to  be 
very  sociable  and  pleasant.  As  for  excitement,  I  hear 
that  there  is  much  better  shooting  there  than  there  is 
here.  Mrs.  Hunter  was  telling  me  that  they  have  had 
some  tigers  that  have  been  very  troublesome  round  there, 
and  you  will  all  have  an  opportunity  of  showing  your 
skill  and  bravery.  I  know  that  Mr.  Richards  and  Mr. 
Wilson  are  burning  to  distinguish  themselves." 

"  It  would  be  great  fun  to  shoot  a  tiger,"  Richards  said. 
"  When  I  came  out  to  India  I  thought  there  was  going  to 
be  lots  of  tiger  shooting,  and  I  bought  a  rifle  on  purpose, 
but  I  have  never  had  a  chance  yet.  Yes,  we  will  certainly 
get  up  a  tiger  hunt,  won't  we,  Wilson?  You  will  tell  us 
how  to  set  about  it,  won't  you,  Doolan?  " 

"  I  don't  shoot,"  Captain  Doolan  said;  "  and  if  I  wanted 
to,  I  am  not  sure  that  my  wife  would  give  me  leave." 

"  Certainly  I  would  not,"  Mrs.  Doolan  said  promptly. 
"  Married  men  have  no  right  to  run  into  unnecessary 
danger." 

"  Dr.  Wade  will  be  able  to  put  you  in  the  way,  Mr, 
Richards/'  Isobel  said. 


104  RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER. 

"Dr.  Wade!"  Mrs.  Eintoul  exclaimed.  "You  don't 
mean  to  say,  Miss  Hannay,  that  he  is  going  with  us?  " 

"  Yes,  he  is  going  for  a  time,  Mrs.  Eintoul.  My  uncle 
told  me  that  he  had  applied  to  go  with  the  detachment, 
and  that  the  surgeon  there  would  come  back  to  the  regi- 
ment while  he  is  away." 

"  I  do  call  that  hard,"  Mrs.  Kintoul  said.  "  The  only 
thing  I  was  glad  we  were  going  for  was  that  we  should  be 
under  Mr.  M'Alaster,  who  is  very  pleasant,  and  quite 
understands  my  case,  while  Dr.  Wade  does  not  seem  to 
understand  it  at  all,  and  is  always  so  very  brusque  and 
unsympathetic." 

There  was  a  general  smile. 

"Wade  is  worth  a  hundred  of  M'Alaster,"  Captain 
Roberts  said.  "  There  is  not  a  man  out  here  I  would 
rather  trust  myself  to  if  I  were  ill.  He  is  an  awfully 
good  fellow,  too,  all  round,  though  he  may  be,  as  you  say, 
a  little  brusque  in  manner." 

"I  call  him  a  downright  bear,"  Mrs.  Eintoul  eaid 
angrily.  "  Why,  only  last  week  he  told  me  that  if  1 
would  get  up  two  hours  earlier  and  go  for  a  brisk  walk 
just  after  sunrise,  and  give  up  eating  meat  at  tiffin,  and 
confine  myself  to  two  or  three  dishes  at  dinner,  I  should 
be  perfectly  well  in  the  course  of  a  month;  just  as  if  I  was 
in  the  habit  of  overeating  myself,  when  I  have  scarcely 
the  appetite  of  a  sparrow.  I  told  Captain  Eintoul  after- 
wards that  I  must  consult  someone  else,  for  that  really  I 
could  not  bear  such  rudeness." 

"  I  am  afraid  we  are  all  against  you,  Mrs.  Eintoul," 
Mrs.  Doolan  said,  with  a  little  shake  of  her  head  at  Isobel, 
who  was,  she  saw,  going  to  speak  out  strongly.  "  No  one 
could  possibly  be  kinder  than  he  is  when  anyone  is  really 
ill.  I  mean  seriously  ill,"  she  added,  as  Mrs.  Eintoul 
drew  herself  up  indignantly.  "  I  shall  never  forget  how 
attentive  he  was  to  the  children  when  they  were  down 
with  fever  just  before  he  went  to  England.  He  missed  his 
ship  and  lost  a  month  of  his  leave  because  he  would  not 
go  away  till  they  were  out  of  danger,  and  there  are  very 
few  men  who  would  have  done  that.  I  shall  never  forget 
his  kindness.  And  now  let  us  talk  of  something  else, 
You  will  have  to  establish  a  little  mess  on  your  own 


RUJVB,  THE  JUGGLER.  105 

account,  Mr.  Wilson,  as  both  the  Captains  are  married 
men,  and  the  Major  has  also  an  incumbrance." 

"  Yes,  it  will  be  horribly  dull,  Mrs.  Doolan.  Eichards 
and  I  have  quarters  together  here,  and,  of  course,  it  will 
be  the  same  there,  and  I  am  sure  I  don't  know  what  we 
shall  find  to  talk  about  when  we  come  to  have  to  mess 
together.  Of  course,  here,  there  are  the  messroom  and 
the  club,  and  so  we  get  on  very  well,  but  to  be  together 
always  will  be  awful." 

"  You  will  really  have  to  take  to  reading  or  something 
of  that  sort,  Mr.  Wilson,"  Isobel  laughed. 

"I  always  do  read  the  Field,  Miss  Hannay,  but  that 
won't  last  for  a  whole  week,  you  know;  and  there  is  no 
billiard-table,  and  no  racquet  court,  or  anything  else  at 
Deennugghur,  and  one  cannot  always  be  riding  about  the 
country." 

"  We  shall  all  have  to  take  pity  on  you  as  much  as  we 
can,"  Mrs.  Doolan  said.  "  I  must  say  that,  like  Miss 
Hannay,  I  shall  not  object  to  the  change." 

"  I  think  it  is  all  very  well  for  you,  Mrs.  Doolan;  you 
have  children." 

"Well,  Mr.  Eichards,  I  will  let  you  both,  as  a  great 
treat,  take  them  out  for  a  walk  sometimes  of  a  morning 
instead  of  their  going  with  the  ayah.  That  will  make  a 
change  for  you." 

There  was  a  general  laugh,  but  Wilson  said  manfully, 
"  Very  well,  Mrs.  Doolan;  I  am  very  fond  of  youngsters, 
and  I  should  like  to  take,  anyhow,  the  two  eldest  out 
sometimes.  I  don't  think  I  should  make  much  hand  with 
the  other  two,  but  perhaps  Eichards  would  like  to  come  in 
and  amuse  them  while  we  are  out;  he  is  just  the  fellow 
for  young  ones." 

There  was  another  laugh,  in  which  Eichards  joined. 
"I  could  carry  them  about  on  my  back,  and  pretend  to 
be  a  horse,"  he  said;  "but  I  don't  know  that  I  could 
amuse  them  in  any  other  way." 

"You  would  find  that  very  hot  work,  Mr.  Eichards,* 
Mrs.  Doolan  said;  "  but  I  don't  think  we  shall  require  such. 
a  sacrifice  of  you.  Well,  I  don't  think  we  shall  find  it  so 
bad,  after  all,  and  I  don't  suppose  it  will  be  for  very  long; 
I  d$  not  believe  in.  »J1  this  talk  about  chuoaties,  and  dis- 


106  RVJUB,  TEE  JUGGLER. 

affection,  and  that  sort  of  thing;  I  expect  in  three  months 
we  shall  most  of  us  be  back  again." 

Ten  days  later  the  detachment  was  settled  down  in 
Deennugglmr.  The  troops  were  for  the  most  part  under 
canvas,  for  there  was  only  accommodation  for  a  single 
company  at  the  station.  The  two  subalterns  occupied  a 
large  square  tent,  while  the  other  three  officers  took 
possession  of  the  only  three  bungalows  that  were  vacant 
at  the  station,  the  Doctor  having  a  tent  to  himself.  The 
Major  and  Isobel  had  stayed  for  the  first  three  days  with 
the  Hunters,  at  the  end  of  which  time  the  bungalow  had 
been  put  in  perfect  order.  It  was  far  less  commodious 
than  that  at  Cawnpore,  but  Isobel  was  well  satisfied  with 
it  when  all  their  belongings  had  been  arranged,  and  she 
soon  declared  that  she  greatly  preferred  Deennugghur  to 
Cawnpore. 

Those  at  the  station  heartily  welcomed  the  accession  to 
their  numbers,  and  there  was  an  entire  absence  of  the 
stiffness  and  formality  of  a  large  cantonment  like  Cawn- 
pore, and  Isobel  was  free  to  run  in  as  she  chose  to  spend 
the  morning  chatting  and  working  with  the  Hunters,  or 
Mrs.  Doolan,  or  with  the  other  ladies,  of  whom  there 
were  three  at  the  station. 

A  few  days  after  their  arrival  news  came  in  that  the 
famous  man-eater,  which  had  for  a  time  ceased  his 
ravages  and  moved  off  to  a  different  part  of  the  country, 
principally  because  the  natives  of  the  village  near  the 
jungle  had  ceased  altogether  to  go  out  after  nightfall,  had 
returned,  and  had  carried  off  herdsmen  on  two  consecu- 
tive days. 

The  Doctor  at  once  prepared  for  action,  and  agreed  to 
allow  Wilson  and  Richards  to  accompany  him,  and  the 
next  day  the  three  rode  off  together  to  Narkeet,  to  which 
village  the  two  herdsmen  had  belonged.  Both  had  been 
killed  near  the  same  spot,  and  the  natives  had  traced  the 
return  of  the  tiger  to  its  lair  in  the  jungle  with  its 
victims. 

The  Doctor  soon  found  that  the  ordinary  methods  of 
destroying  the  tiger  had  been  tried  again  and  again  with- 
out success.  Cattle  and  goats  had  been  tied  up,  and  the 
native  shikaris  had  taken  their  posts  in  trees  close  by,  and 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  10T 

had  watched  all  night;  but  in  vain.  Spring  traps  and 
deadfalls  had  also  been  tried,  but  the  tiger  seemed 
absolutely  indifferent  to  the  attractions  of  their  baits,  and 
always  on  the  lookout  for  snares.  The  attempts  made 
at  a  dozen  villages  near  the  jungle  had  all  been  equally 
unsuccessful. 

"  It  is  evident,"  the  Doctor  said,  "  that  the  brute  cares 
for  nothing  but  human  victims.  No  doubt,  if  he  were 
very  hungry  he  would  take  a  cow  or  a  goat,  but  we  might 
wait  a  very  long  time  for  that;  so  the  only  thing  that  I 
can  see  is  to  act  as  a  bait  myself." 

"  How  will  you  do  that,  Doctor  ?  " 

"  I  shall  build  a  sort  of  cage  near  the  point  where  the 
tiger  has  twice  entered  the  jungle.  I  will  take  with  me 
in  the  cage  a  woman  or  girl  from  the  village.  From  time 
to  time  she  shall  cry  out  as  if  in  pain,  and  as  the  tiger  is 
evidently  somewhere  in  this  neighborhood  it  is  likely 
enough  he  will  come  out  to  see  about  it. 

u  We  must  have  the  cage  pretty  strong,  or  I  shall  never 
get  anyone  to  sit  with  me;  besides,  on  a  dark  night,  there 
is  no  calculating  on  killing  to  a  certainty  with  the  first 
shot,  and  it  is  just  as  well  to  be  on  the  safe  side.  In  day- 
light it  would  be  a  different  matter  altogether.  I  can 
rely  upon  my  weapon  when  I  can  see,  but  on  a  dark  night 
it  is  pretty  well  guesswork." 

The  villagers  were  at  once  engaged  to  erect  a  stout 
cage  eight  feet  square  and  four  high,  of  beams  driven  into 
the  ground  six  inches  apart,  and  roofed  in  with  strong 
bars.  There  was  a  considerable  difficulty  in  getting  any- 
one to  consent  to  sit  by  the  Doctor,  but  at  last  the  widow 
of  one  of  the  men  who  had  been  killed  agreed  for  the  sum 
of  twenty-five  rupees  to  pass  the  night  there,  accompanied 
by  her  child  four  years  old. 

The  Doctor's  skill  with  his  rifle  was  notorious,  and  it 
was  rather  the  desire  of  seeing  her  husband's  death 
avenged  than  for  the  sake  of  the  money  that  she  con- 
sented to  keep  watch.  There  was  but  one  tree  suitable 
for  the  watchers;  it  stood  some  forty  yards  to  the  right  of 
the  cage,  and  it  was  arranged  that  both  the  subalterns 
should  take  their  station  in  it. 

"  Now  look  here,  lads,"  the  Doctor  said,  "  before  we 


108  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

start  on  this  business,  it  must  be  quite  settled  that  yon  do 
not  fire  till  you  hear  my  rifle.  That  is  the  first  thing; 
the  second  is  that  you  only  fire  when  the  brute  is  a  fair 
distance  from  the  cage.  If  you  get  excited  and  blaz?. 
away  anyhow,  you  are  quite  as  likely  to  hit  me  as  you  are 
the  tiger.  Now,  I  object  to  take  any  risk  whatever  on 
that  score.  You  will  have  a  native  shikari  in  the  tree 
with  you  to  point  out  the  tiger,  for  it  is  'twenty  to  one 
against  your  making  him  out  for  yourselves.  It  will  be 
quite  indistinct,  and  you  have  no  chance  of  making  out 
its  head  or  anything  of  that  sort,  and  you  have  to  take  a 
shot  at  it  as  best  you  may. 

"  Remember  there  must  not  be  a  word  spoken.  If  the 
brute  does  come,  it  will  probably  make  two  or  three  turns 
round  the  cage  before  it  approaches  it,  and  may  likely 
enough  pass  close  to  you,  but  in  no  ease  fire.  You  can't 
make  sure  of  killing  it,  and  if  it  were  only  wounded  it 
would  make  off  into'  the  jungle,  and  all  our  trouble  would 
be  thrown  away.  Also  remember  you  must  not  smoke; 
the  tiger  would  smell  it  half  a  mile  away,  and,  besides,  the 
sound  of  a  match  striking  would  be  quite  sufficient  to  set 
him  on  his  guard." 

"  There  is  no  objection,  I  hope,  Doctor,  to  our  taking 
up  our  flasks;  we  shall  want  something  to  keep  us  from 
going  to  sleep." 

"No,  there  is  no  objection  to  that,"  the  Doctor  said; 
"  but  mind  you  don't  go  to  sleep,  for  if  you  did  you  might 
fall  off  your  bough  and  break  your  neck,  to  say  nothing  of 
the  chance  of  the  tiger  happening  to  be  close  at  hand  at 
the  time." 

Late  in  the  afternoon  the  Doctor  went  down  to  inspect 
the  cage,  and  pronounced  it  sufficiently  strong.  Half  an 
hour  before  nightfall  he  and  the  woman  and  child  took 
their  places  in  it,  and  the  two  beams  in  the  roof  that  had 
been  left  unfastened  to  allow  of  their  entry  were  securely 
lashed  in  their  places  by  the  villagers.  Wilson  and 
Eichards  were  helped  up  into  the  tree,  and  took  their 
places  upon  two  boughs  which  sprang  from  the  trunk 
close  to  each  other  at  a  height  of  some  twelve  feet  from 
the  ground.  The  shikari  who  was  to  wait  with  them 
crawled  out,  and  with  a  hatchet  chopped  off  some  of  the 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER. 

sta&tt.  boughs  and  foliage  so  as  to  give  them  a  clear  view 
of  the  ground  for  some  distance  round  the  cage,  which, 
waa  erected  in  the  center  of  a  patch  of  brushwood,  the 
lower  portion  of  which  had  been  cleared  out  so  that  the 
Doctor  should  have  an  uninterrupted  view  round.  The 
toughs  and  leaves  were  gathered  up  by  the  villagers,  and 
carried  away  by  them,  and  the  watch  began. 

"  Confound  it/'  Richards  whispered  to  his  companion 
after  night  fell,  "it  is  getting  as  dark  as  pitch;  I  can 
scarcely  make  out  the  clump  where  the  cage  is.  I  should 
liardly  see  an  elephant  if  it  were  to  come,  much  less  a 
brute  like  a  tiger." 

"  We  shall  get  accustomed  to  it  presently,"  Wilson  re- 
plied; "at  any  rate  make  quite  sure  of  the  direction  in. 
which  the  cage  is  in;  it  is  better  to  let  twenty  tigers  go 
than  to  run  the  risk  of  hitting  the  Doctor." 

In  another  hour  their  eyes  had  become  accustomed  to 
the  darkness,  and  they  could  not  only  see  the  clump  in 
which  the  cage  was  clearly,  but  could  make  out  the  out- 
line of  the  bush  all  round  the  open  space  in  which  it  stood. 
Both  started  as  a  loud  and  dismal  wail  rose  suddenly  La. 
the  air,  followed  by  a  violent  crying. 

"  By  Jove,  how  that  woman  made  me  jump! "  Wilson 
said;  "  it  sounded  quite  awful,  and  she  must  have  pinched 
that  poor  little  beggar  of  hers  pretty  sharply  to  make  him 
yell  like  that." 

A  low  "  hush! "  from  the  shikari  at  his  elbow  warned 
Wilson  that  he  was  speaking  too  loudly.  Hours  passed 
by,  the  cries  being  raised  at  intervals. 

"  It  is  enough  to  give  one  the  jumps,  Richards;  eack 
tinve  she  yells  I  nearly  fall  off  my  branch." 

"  Keep  on  listening,  then  it  won't  startle  you." 

"  A  fellow  can't  keep  on  listening,"  Wilson  grumbled; 
"  I  listen  each  time  until  my  ears  begin  to  sing,  and  I  feel 
atupid  and  sleepy,  and  then  she  goes  off  again  like  a  steam 
whistle;  that  child  will  be  black  and  blue  all  over  in  the 
morning." 

A  warning  hiss  from  the  shikari  again  induced  Wilson 
to  silence. 

**  I  don't  believe  the  brute  is  coming,"  he  whispered,  aa 
iwor  Later.  "If  it  wasn't  for  this  bough  being  so  hand, 


HO  RUJUB.  THE  JVGGLER. 

I  should  drop  off  to  sleep;  my  eyes  ache  with  staring  at 
those  bushes." 

As  he  spoke  the  shikari  touched  him  on  the  shoulder 
and  pointed.  "  Tiger,"  he  whispered;  and  then  did  the 
same  to  Kichards.  Grasping  their  rifles,  they  gazed  in 
the  direction  in  which  he  pointed,  but  could  for  some 
time  make  out  nothing.  Then  they  saw  a  dim  gray  mass 
in  front  of  the  bushes,  directly  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
open  space;  then  from  the  cage,  lying  almost  in  a  direct 
line  between  it  and  them,  rose  the  cry  of  the  child.  They 
were  neither  of  them  at  all  certain  that  the  object  at 
which  they  were  gazing  was  the  tiger.  It  seemed  shape- 
less, the  outline  fading  away  in  the  bush;  but  they  felt 
sure  that  they  had  noticed  nothing  like  it  in  that  direc- 
tion before. 

For  two  or  three  minutes  they  remained  in  uncertainty, 
then  the  outline  seemed  to  broaden,  and  it  moved  noise- 
lessly. There  could  be  no  mistake  now;  the  tiger  had 
been  attracted  by  the  cries,  and  as  it  moved  along  they 
could  see  that  it  was  making  a  circuit  of  the  spot  from 
whence  the  sounds  proceeded,  to  reconnoiter  before  ad- 
vancing towards  its  prey.  It  kept  close  to  the  line  of 
bushes,  and  sometimes  passed  behind  some  of  them.  The 
shikari  pressed  their  shoulders,  and  a  low  hiss  enforced 
the  necessity  for  absolute  silence.  The  two  young  fel- 
lows almost  held  their  breath;  they  had  lost  sight  of  the 
tiger  now,  but  knew  it  must  be  approaching  them. 

For  two  or  three  minutes  they  heard  and  saw  nothing, 
then  the  shikari  pointed  beyond  them,  and  they  almost 
started  as  they  saw  the  tiger  retreating,  and  knew  that  it 
must  have  passed  almost  under  them  without  their  notic- 
ing it.  At  last  it  reached  the  spot  at  which  they  had  first 
seen  it.  The  child's  cry,  but  this  time  low  and  querulous, 
again  rose.  With  quicker  steps  than  before  it  moved  on, 
but  still  not  directly  towards  the  center,  to  the  great 
relief  of  the  two  subalterns,  who  had  feared  that  it  might 
attack  from  such  a  direction  that  they  would  not  dare  to 
fire  for  fear  of  hitting  the  cage.  Fortunately  it  passed 
that  point,  and,  crouching,  moved  towards  the  bushes. 

Wilson  and  Richards  had  their  rifles  now  at  their 
shoulders,  but,  in  the  feeble  and  uncertain  light,  felt  by  no 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  HI 

means  sure  of  hitting  their  mark,  though  it  was  but  some 
thirty  yards  away.  Almost  breathlessly  they  listened  for 
the  Doctor's  rifle,  but  both  started  when  the  flash  and 
sharp  crack  broke  on  the  stillness.  There  was  a  sudden 
snarl  of  pain,  the  tiger  gave  a  spring  in  the  air,  and  then 
fell,  rolling  over  and  over. 

"  It  is  not  killed!  "  the  shikari  exclaimed.  "  Fire  when 
it  gets  up." 

Suddenly  it  rose  to  its  feet,  and  with  a  loud  roar 
sprang  towards  the  thicket.  The  two  subalterns  fired, 
but  the  movements  of  the  dimly  seen  creature  were  so 
swift  that  they  felt  by  no  means  sure  that  they  had  hit 
it.  Then  came,  almost  simultaneously,  a  loud  shriek 
from  the  woman,  of  a  very  different  character  to  the  long 
wails  she  had  before  uttered,  followed  by  a  sound  of  rend- 
ing and  tearing. 

"He  is  breaking  down  the  cage!"  Eichards  exclaimed 
excitedly,  as  he  and  Wilson  hastened  to  ram  another 
cartridge  down  their  rifles.  "  Come,  we  must  go  and  help 
the  Doctor."  But  a  moment  later  came  another  report 
of  a  rifle,  and  then  all  was  silent.  Then  the  Doctor's 
voice  was  heard. 

"  Don't  get  down  from  the  tree  yet,  lads;  I  think  he  is 
dead,  but  if  is  best  to  make  sure  first." 

There  was  a  pause,  and  then  another  rifle  shot,  followed 
by  the  shout  "  All  right;  he  is  as  dead  as  a  door-nail  now. 
Mind  your  rifles  as  you  climb  down." 

"  Fancy  thinking  of  that,"  Wilson  said,  "  when  you 
have  just  killed  a  tiger!  I  haven't  capped  mine  yet;  have 
you,  Richards?" 

"  I  have  just  put  it  on,  but  will  take  it  off  again.  Here, 
old  man,  you  get  down  first,  and  we  will  hand  the  guns  to 
yoii  " — this  to  the  shikari. 

With  some  difficulty  they  scrambled  down  from  the 
tree. 

"  Now  we  may  as  well  cap  our  rifles,"  Eichards  said; 
"the  brute  may  not  be  dead  after  all." 

They  approached  the  bush  cautiously. 

"  You  are  quite  sure  he  is  dead,  Doctor?  " 

"  Quite  sure;  do  you  think  I  don't  know  when  a  tiger 
is  dead?" 


112  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

Still  holding  their  guns  in  readiness  to  fire,  they  ap- 
proached the  bushes. 

"  You  can  do  no  good  until  the  villagers  come  with 
torches,"  the  Doctor  said;  "  the  tiger  is  dead  enough,  but 
it  is  always  as  well  to  be  prudent." 

The  shikari  had  uttered  a  loud  cry  as  he  sprang  down 
from  the  tree,  and  this  had  been  answered  by  shouts  from 
the  distance.  In  a  few  minutes  lights  were  seen  through 
the  trees,  and  a  score  of  men  with  torches  and  lanterns 
ran  up  with  shouts  of  satisfaction. 

As  soon  as  they  arrived  the  two  young  officers  advanced 
to  the  cage.  On  the  top  a  tiger  was  lying  stretched  out 
as  if  in  sleep;  with  some  caution  they  approached  it  and 
flashed  a  torch  in  its  eyes.  There  was  no  doubt  that  it 
was  dead.  The  body  was  quickly  rolled  off  the  cage,  and 
then  a  dozen  hands  cut  the  lashing  and  lifted  the  top  bars, 
which  was  deeply  scored  by  the  tiger's  claws,  and  the 
Doctor  emerged. 

"  I  am  glad  to  be  out  of  that,"  he  said;  "  six  hours  in  a 
cage  with  a  woman  and  a  crying  brat  is  no  joke." 

As  soon  as  the  Doctor  had  got  out,  the  subalterns 
eagerly  examined  the  tiger,  upon  which  the  native  were 
heaping  curses  and  execrations. 

"How  many  wounds  has  it  got?"  they  asked  the  Doc- 
for,  who  repeated  the  question  to  the  shikari  in  his  own 
language. 

"  Three,  sahib.  One  full  in  the  chest — it  would  have 
teen  mortal — two  others  in  the  ribs  by  the  heart." 

"  No  others  ?  "  the  subalterns  exclaimed  in  disgust,  as 
the  answer  was  translated  to  them. 

The  Doctor  himself  examined  the  tigrer. 

"  No;  you  both  missed,  lads,  but  you  need  not  be 
ashamed  of  that;  it  is  no  easy  matter  to  hit  a  tiger  even 
at  a  short  distance  on  a  dark  night  like  this,  when  you  can 
scarce  make  him  out,  and  can't  see  the  barrel  of  your 
rifle.  I  ought  to  have  told  you  to  rub  a  little  phosphorus 
off  the  head  of  a  match  onto  the  sight.  I  am  so  accustomed 
to  do  it  myself  as  a  matter  of  course  that  I  did  not  think 
of  telling  you.  Well,  I  am  heartily  glad  we  have  killed 
it,  for  by  all  accounts  it  haa  done  an  immense  deal  of 
damage/' 


RUJUB.  THE  JUGGLER.  113 

u  It  has  been  a  fine  tiger  in  its  time,  although  its  skin 
doesn't  look  much/'  Wilson  said;  "  there  are  patches  of 
fur  off." 

"  That  is  generally  the  case  with  man-eaters.  They 
are  mostly  old  tigers  who  take,  when  they  get  past  their 
strength,  to  killing  men.  I  don't  know  whether  the  flesh 
doesn't  agree  with  them,  but  they  are  almost  always 
mangy." 

"  We  were  afraid  for  a  moment,"  Eichards  said,  "  that 
the  tiger  was  going  to  break  into  your  cage;  we  heard  him 
clawing  away  at  the  timber,  and  as  you  didn't  fire  again 
we  were  afraid  something  was  the  matter." 

"The  mother  was,"  the  Doctor  said  testily.  "The 
moment  the  tiger  sprang,  the  woman  threw  herself  down 
at  full  length  right  on  the  top  of  my  second  rifle,  and 
when  I  went  to  push  her  off  I  think  she  fancied  the  tiger 
had  got  hold  of  her,  for  she  gave  a  yell  that  fairly  made 
me  jump.  I  had  to  push  her  off  by  main  force,  and  then 
lie  down  on  my  back,  so  as  to  get  the  rifle  up  to  fire.  I 
was  sure  the  first  shot  was  fatal,  for  I  knew  just  where  his 
heart  would  be,  but  I  dropped  a  second  cartridge  in,  and 
gave  him  another  bullet  so  as  to  make  sure.  Well,  if 
either  of  you  want  his  head  or  his  claws,  you  had  better 
say  so  at  onre,  for  the  natives  will  be  singeing  his 
whiskers  off  directly;  the  practice  is  a  superstition  of 
theirs." 

"  No,  I  don't  want  them,"  Wilson  said.  "  If  I  had  pnt 
a  bullet  into  the  brute,  so  that  I  could  have  said  I  helped 
to  kill  him,  I  should  have  liked  the  head  to  get  it  pre- 
served and  sent  home  to  my  people,  but  as  it  is  the 
natives  are  welcome  to  it  as  far  as  I  am  concerned." 

Eichards  was  of  the  same  opinion,  and  so  without 
further  delay  they  started  back  for  the  village,  where, 
upon  their  arrival,  they  were  greeted  with  cries  of  joy  by 
the  women,  the  news  having  already  been  carried  back  by 
a  boy. 

"Poor  beggars!"  the  Doctor  said.  "They  have  been 
living  a  life  of  terror  for  weeks.  They  must  feel  as  if 
they  had  woke  from  a  nightmare.  Now,  lads,  we  will 
have  some  supper.  I  dare  say  you  are  ready  for  it,  and  I 
am  sure  I  am." 


114  RUJVB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

"  Is  there  any  chance  for  supper,  Doctor? — why,  it 
must  be  two  o'clock  in  the  morning." 

\  "  Of  course  there  is,"  the  Doctor  replied.  "  I  gave 
orders  to  my  man  to  begin  to  warm  up  the  food  as  soon 
as  he  heard  a  gun  fired,  and  I  will  guarantee  he  has  got 
everything  ready  by  this  time." 

After  a  hearty  meal  and  a  cigar  they  lay  down  for  a 
few  hours'  sleep,  and  at  daybreak  rode  back  to  Deen- 
nugghur,  the  two  subalterns  rather  crestfallen  at  their 
failure  to  have  taken  any  active  part  in  killing  the  tiger 
that  had  so  long  been  a  terror  to  the  district. 

"It  was  an  awful  sell  missing  him,  Miss  Hannay:  I 
wanted  to  have  had  the  claws  mounted  as  a  necklace;  I 
thought  you  would  have  liked  it." 

"I  am  very  much  obliged  to  you,  Mr.  Wilson,  but  I 
would  much  rather  not  have  had  them.  If  the  tiger 
hadn't  been  a  man-eater  I  should  not  have  minded,  but  I 
should  never  have  worn  as  an  ornament  claws  that  had 
killed  lots  of  people — women  and  chidren  too." 

"  No,  I  never  thought  of  that,  Miss  Hannay;  it 
wouldn't  have  been  pleasant,  now  one  thinks  of  it;  still,  I 
wish  I  had  put  a  bullet  into  him." 

"  No  doubt  you  will  do  better  next  time,  Mr.  Wilson. 
The  Doctor  has  been  telling  me  that  it  is  extremely  diffi- 
cult to  hit  an  animal  in  the  dark  when  you  are  not  accus- 
tomed to  that  sort  of  shooting.  He  says  he  was  in  a 
great  fright  all  the  time  he  was  lying  in  the  cage,  und 
that  it  was  an  immense  relief  to  him  when  he  heard  your 
rifles  go  off,  and  found  that  he  wasn't  hit." 

"  That  is  too  bad  of  him,  Miss  Hannay,"  Wilson 
laughed;  "  we  were  not  such  duffers  as  all  that.  I  don't 
believe  he  really  did  think  so." 

"  I  am  sure  he  was  in  earnest,  Mr.  Wilson.  He  said  he 
should  have  felt  quite  safe  if  it  had  been  daylight,  but 
that  in  the  dark  people  really  can't  see  which  way  the 
rifles  are  pointed,  and  that  he  remembered  he  had  not 
told  you  to  put  phosphorus  on  the  sights." 

"  It  was  too  bad  of  him,"  Wilson  grumbled;  "  it  would 
have  served  him  right  if  one  of  the  bullets  had  hit  a 
timber  of  the  cage  and  given  him  a  start;  I  should  like  to 
have  seen  the  Docto?  struggling  in  the  dark  to  get  his 


RUJUBt  THE  JUGGLER.  115 

second  rifle  from  under  the  woman,  with  the  tiger  clawing 
and  growling  two  feet  above  him." 

"  The  Doctor  didn't  tell  me  about  that,"  Isobel  laughed; 
s<  though  he  said  he  had  a  woman  and  child  with  him  to 
attract  the  tiger." 

"  It  would  have  frightened  any  decent-minded  tiger, 
Miss  Hannay,  instead  of  attracting  it;  for  such  dismal 
yells  as  that  woman  made  I  never  listened  to.  I  nearly 
tumbled  off  the  tree  at  the  first  of  them,  it  made  me  jump 
so,  and  it  gave  me  a  feeling  of  cold  water  running  down 
my  back.  As  to  the  child,  I  don't  know  whether  she 
pinched  it  or  the  doctor  stuck  pins  into  it,  but  the  poor 
little  brute  howled  in  the  most  frightful  way.  I  don't 
think  I  shall  ever  want  to  go  tiger-shooting  in  the  dark 
again;  I  ache  all  over  to-day  as  if  I  had  been  playing  in 
the  first  football  match  of  the  season,  from  sitting  bal- 
ancing myself  on  that  branch;  I  was  almost  over  half  a 
dozen  times." 

"  I  expect  you  nearly  went  off  to  sleep,  Mr.  Wilson." 

'*  I  think  I  should  have  gone  to  sleep  if  it  hadn't  been 
for  that  woman,  Miss  Hannay.  I  should  not  have  minded 
if  I  could  have  smoked,  but  to  sit  there  hour  after  hour 
and  not  be  able  to  smoke,  and  not  allowed  to  speak,  and 
staring  all  the  time  into  the  darkness  till  your  eyes 
ached,  was  trying,  I  can  tell  you;  and  after  all  that,  not 
to  hit  the  brute  was  too  bad." 

The  days  passed  quietly  at  Deennugghur.  They  were 
seldom  alone  at  Major  Hannay's  bungalow  in  the  even- 
ing, for  Wilson  and  Eichards  generally  came  in  to  smoke 
a  cigar  in  the  veranda;  the  Doctor  was  a  regular  visitor, 
when  he  was  not  away  in  pursuit  of  game,  and  Bathurst 
was  also  often  one  of  the  party. 

"  Mr.  Bathurst  is  coming  out  wonderfully,  Miss  Han- 
nay," Mrs.  Hunter  said  one  day,  as  Isobel  sat  working 
with  her,  while  the  two  girls  were  practicing  duets  on  a 
piano  in  the  next  room.  "We  used  to  call  him  the 
hermit,  he  was  so  difficult  to  get  out  of  his  cell.  We  were 
quite  surprised  when  he  accepted  our  invitation  to  dinner 
yesterday." 

"  I  think  Dr.  Wade  has  stirred  him  up,"  Isobel  said 
calmly;  ''he  is  a  great  favorite  of  the  Doctor's." 


116  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER, 

Mrs.  Hunter  smiled  over  her  work.  "  Perhaps  so,  my 
my  dear;  anyhow,  I  am  glad  he  has  come  out,  and  I  hope 
he  won't  retire  into  his  cell  again  after  you  have  all 
gone." 

"I  suppose  it  depends  a  good  deal  upon  his  work/* 
Isobel  said. 

"  My  experience  of  men  is  that  they  can  always  make 
time  if  they  like,  my  dear.  When  a  man  says  he  is  too 
busy  to  do  this,  that,  or  the  other,  you  may  always  safely 
put  it  down  that  he  doesn't  want  to  do  it.  Of  course,  it 
is  just  the  same  thing  with  ourselves.  You  often  hear 
women  say  they  are  too  busy  to  attend  to  all  sorts  of 
things  that  they  ought  to  attend  to,  but  the  same  women 
can  find  plenty  of  time  to  go  to  every  pleasure  gather- 
ing that  comes  off.  There  is  no  doubt  that  Mr.  Bathurst 
is  really  fond  of  work,  and  that  he  is  an  indefatigable 
civil  servant  of  the  Company,  but  that  would  not  pre- 
vent him  making  an  hour  or  two's  time  of  an  evening, 
occasionally,  if  he  wanted  to.  However,  he  seems  to 
have  turned  over  a  new  leaf,  and  I  hope  it  will  last.  In 
a  small  station  like  this,  even  one  man  is  of  importance, 
especially  when  he  is  as  pleasant  as  Mr.  Bathurst  can  be 
when  he  likes.  He  was  in  the  army  at  one  time,  you 
know." 

"  Was  he,  Mrs.  Hunter?  " 

"Yes.  I  never  heard  him  say  so  himself,  but  I  have 
heard  so  from  several  people.  I  think  he  was  only  in  it 
for  a  year  or  so.  I  suppose  he  did  not  care  for  it,  and  can 
quite  imagine  he  would  not,  so  he  sold  out,  and  a  short 
time  afterwards  obtained  a  civil  appointment.  He  has 
very  good  interest;  his  father  was  General  Bathurst,  who 
was,  you  know,  a  very  distinguished  officer.  So  he  had 
no  difficulty  in  getting  into  our  service,  where  he  is 
entirely  in  his  element.  His  father  died  two  years  ago, 
and  I  believe  he  came  into  a  good  property  at  home. 
Everyone  expected  he  would  have  thrown  up  his  appoint- 
ment, but  it  made  no  difference  to  him,  and  he  just  went 
on  as  before,  working  as  if  he  had  to  depend  entirely  on 
the  service." 

"I  can  quite  understand  that,"  Isobel  said,  "to  a 
really  earnest  man  a  life  of  usefulness  here  must  be  vastly 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  117 

preferable  to  living  at  home  without  anything  to  do  or 
any  object  in  life." 

u  Well,  perhaps  so,  my  dear,  and  in  theory  that  is, 
no  doubt,  the  case;  but  practically,  I  fancy  you  would 
find  nineteen  men  out  of  twenty,  even  if  they  are  what 
you  call  earnest  men,  retire  from  the  ranks  of  hard 
workers  if  they  come  into  a  nice  property.  By  the  way, 
you  must  come  in  here  this  evening.  There  is  a  juggler 
in  the  station,  and  Mr.  Hunter  has  told  him  to  come 
round.  The  servants  say  the  man  is  a  very  celebrated 
juggler,  one  of  the  best  in  India,  and  as  the  girls  have 
never  seen  anything  better  than  the  ordinary  itinerant 
conjurers,  my  husband  has  arranged  for  him  to  come  in 
here,  and  we  have  been  sending  notes  round  asking  every- 
one to  come  in.  We  have  sent  one  round  to  your  place, 
but  you  must  have  come  out  before  the  chit  arrived." 

"  Oh,  I  should  like  that  very  much! "  Isobel  said. 
"  Two  or  three  men  came  to  our  bungalow  at  Cawnpore 
and  did  some  conjuring,  but  it  was  nothing  particular; 
but  uncle  says  some  of  them  do  wonderful  things — things 
that  he  cannot  account  for  at  all.  That  was  one  of  the 
things  I  read  about  at  school,  and  thought  I  should  like 
to  see,  more  than  anything  in  India.  When  I  was  at 
school  we  went  in  a  body,  two  or  three  times,  to  see  con- 
jurers when  they  came  to  Cheltenham.  Of  course  I 
did  not  understand  the  things  they  did,  and  they  seemed 
wonderful  to  me,  but  I  know  there  are  people  who  can 
explain  them,  and  that  they  are  only  tricks;  but  I  havv 
read  accounts  of  things  done  by  jugglers  in  India  that 
seemed  utterly  impossible  to  explain — really  a  sort  of 
magic." 

"  I  have  heard  a  good  many  arguments  about  it,"  Mrs. 
Hunter  said;  "  and  a  good  many  people,  especially  those 
who  have  seen  most  of  them,  are  of  opinion  that  many 
of  the  feats  of  the  Indian  jugglers  cannot  be  explained 
by  any  natural  laws  we  know  of.  I  have  seen  some  very 
curious  things  myself,  but  the  very  fact  that  I  did  not 
understand  how  they  were  done  was  no  proof  they  could 
not  be  explained;  certainly  two  of  their  commonest 
tricks,  the  basket  trick  and  the  mango,  have  never  been 
explained.  Our  conjurers  at  home  can  do  something 


118  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

like  them,  but  then  that  is  on  a  stage,  where  they  can 
have  trapdoors  and  all  sorts  of  things,  while  these  are 
done  anywhere — in  a  garden,  on  a  road — where  there 
could  be  no  possible  preparation,  and  with  a  crowd  of 
lookers-on  all  round;  it  makes  me  quite  uncomfortable 
to  look  at  it." 

"  Well,  I  must  be  off  now,  Mrs.  Hunter;  it  is  nearly 
time  for  uncle  to  be  back,  and  he  likes  me  to  be  in  when 
he  returns." 


CHAPTER   IX. 

DB.  WADE  was  sitting  in  the  veranda  smoking  and 
reading  an  English  paper  that  had  arrived  by  that  morn- 
ing's mail,  when  Isobel  returned. 

"  Good  morning,  Doctor.    Is  uncle  back?  " 

"  Not  yet.  He  told  me  he  might  be  half  an  hour  late, 
and  that  I  was  to  come  round  and  amuse  you  until  he 
came  back." 

"  So  in  my  absence  you  have  been  amusing  yourself, 
Doctor.  I  have  been  round  at  Mrs.  Hunter's;  she  is  go- 
ing to  have  a  juggler  there  this  evening,  and  we  are  all 
to  go." 

"  Yes,  I  got  a  chit  from  her  this  morning.  I  have 
seen  scores  of  them,  but  I  make  a  point  of  never  missing 
an  exhibition  when  I  get  the  chance.  I  hate  anything  I 
don't  understand,  and  I  go  with  the  faint  hope  of  being 
able  to  find  things  out,  though  I  know  perfectly  well  that 
I  shall  not  do  so." 

"  Then  you  think  it  is  not  all  quite  natural,  Doctor?  " 

"  I  don't  say  it  is  not  natural,  because  we  don't  know 
what  all  the  natural  laws  are,  but  I  say  that  some  of  the 
things  I  have  seen  certainly  are  not  to  be  accounted  for 
by  anything  we  do  know.  It  is  not  often  that  the  jug- 
glers show  their  best  tricks  to  the  whites — they  know 
that,  as  a  rule,  we  are  altogether  skeptical;  but  I  have 
seen  at  native  courts  more  than  once  the  most  astound- 
ing things — things  absolutely  incomprehensible  and  in- 
explicable. I  don't  suppose  we  are  going  to  see  anything 
of  that  sort  to-night,  though  Mrs.  Hunter  said  in  her 


RUJUB,  TEE  JUGGLER.  119 

note  that  they  had  heard  from  the  native  servant  that 
this  man  was  a  famous  one. 

"  There  is  a  sect  of  people  in  India,  I  don't  mean  a 
caste,  but  a  sort  of  secret  society,  who,  I  believe,  claim  to 
be  able  by  some  sort  of  influence  to  suspend  altogether 
the  laws  of  nature.  I  do  not  say  that  I  believe  them — as 
a  scientific  man,  it  is  my  duty  not  to  believe  them;  but  I 
have  seen  such  things  done  by  some  of  the  higher  class 
of  jugglers,  and  that  under  circumstances  that  did  not 
seem  to  admit  of  the  possibility  of  deception,  that  I  am 
obliged  to  suspend  my  judgment,  which,  as  you  may 
imagine,  my  dear,  is  exceedingly  annoying  to  me;  but 
some  of  them  do  possess  to  a  considerable  extent  what 
the  Scotch  call  second-sight,  that  is  to  say,  the  power  of 
foreseeing  events  in  the  future.  Of  that  I  am  morally 
certain;  I  have  seen  proofs  of  it  over  and  over  again. 
For  example,  once  an  old  fakir,  whom  I  had  cured  of 
a  badly  ulcerated  limb,  came  up  just  as  I  was  starting 
on  a  shooting  expedition. 

"  '  Do  not  go  out  to-day/  he  said.  '  I  foresee  evil  for 
you.  I  saw  you  last  night  brought  back  badly  wounded/ 

" '  But  if  I  don't  go  your  dream  will  come  wrong,'  I 
said. 

"  He  shook  his  head. 

" '  You  will  go  m  spite  of  what  I  say,'  he  said;  '  and 
you  will  suffer,  and  others  too;'  and  he  looked  at  a  group 
of  shikaris,  who  were  standing  together,  ready  to  make 
a  start. 

"  '  How  many  men  are  there?  '  he  said. 

" '  Why,  six  of  course,'  I  replied. 

" '  I  see  only  three,'  he  said,  *  and  three  dull  spots. 
One  of  those  I  see  is  holding  his  matchlock  on  his  shoul- 
der, another  is  examining  his  priming,  the  third  is  sitting 
down  by  the  fire.  Those  three  will  come  back  at  the  end 
of  the  day;  the  other  three  will  not  return  alive.' 

"  I  felt  rather  uncomfortable,  but  I  wasn't,  as  I  said 
to  myself — I  was  a  good  deal  younger  then,  my  dear — 
such  a  fool  as  to  be  deterred  from  what  promised  tr 
be  a  good  day's  sport  by  such  nonsense  as  this;  and  I 
went. 

"  We  were  going  after  a  rogue  elephant  that  had  been 


120  RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER. 

doing  a  lot  of  damage  among  the  natives'  plantations. 
We  found  him,  and  a  savage  brute  he  turned  out  to  "be. 
He  moved  just  as  I  fired,  and  though  I  hit  him,  it  was 
not  on  the  fatal  spot,  and  he  charged  right  down  among 
us.  He  caught  the  very  three  men  the  fakir  said  were 
doomed,  and  dashed  the  life  out  of  them;  then  he  came 
at  me.  The  bearer  had  run  off  with  my  second  gun,  and 
he  seized  me  and  flung  me  up  in  the  air. 

"  I  fell  in  a  tree,  but  broke  three  of  my  ribs  and  one 
of  my  arms;  fortunately,  though  the  beast  tried  to  get  at 
me,  I  was  out  of  his  reach,  and  the  tree  was  too  strong 
for  him  to  knock  down.  Then  another  man  who  was 
with  me  came  up  and  killed  him,  and  they  got  me  down 
and  carried  me  back,  and  I  was  weeks  before  I  was  about 
again.  That  was  something  more  than  a  coincidence,  I 
think.  There  were  some  twenty  men  out  with  us,  and 
;nst  the  four  he  had  pointed  out  were  hurt,  and  no 
ethers. 

"  I  have  seen  scores  of  other  cases  in  which  these  pre- 
dictions have  come  true,  especially  in  cases  of  disease; 
though  I  grant  that  here  the  predictions  often  bring 
sbout  their  own  fulfilment.  If  a  native  is  told  by  a  fakir, 
or  holy  man,  that  he  is  going  to  die,  he  makes  no  struggle 
to  live.  In  several  cases  I  have  seen  natives,  wbose 
deaths  have  been  predicted,  die,  without,  as  far  as  my 
science  could  tell  me,  any  disease  or  ailment  whatever 
that  should  have  been  fatal  to  then?.  They  simply  sank 
— died,  I  should  say,  from  pure  fright.  But  putting  aside 
xhis  class,  I  have  seen  enough  to  convince  me  that  some 
at  least  among  these  fanatics  do  possess  the  power  of 
second-sight." 

"That  is  very  extraordinary,  Doctor.  Of  course,  1 
have  heard  of  second-sight  among  certain  old  people  in. 
Scotland,  but  I  did  not  believe  in  it." 

"  I  should  not  have  believed  in  it  if  I  had  not  seen  the 
same  thing  here  in  India.  I  naturally  have  been  inter- 
ested in  it,  and  have  read  pretty  well  everything  that  has 
been  written  about  second-sight  among  the  Highlanders; 
and  some  of  the  incidents  are  so  well  authenticated  that 
I  scarcely  see  how  they  can  be  denied.  Of  course,  there 
is  no  accounting  for  it,  but  it  is  possible  that  among  what 


RUJVB,  THE  JUaGLER.  121 

we  may  call  primitive  people  there  aire  certain  intuitions 
or  instincts,  call  them  what  you  likev  that  have  been  lost 
by  civilized  people. 

"  The  power  of  scent  in  a  dog  is  something  so  vastly 
beyond  anything  we  can  even  imagine  possible,  that 
though  we  put  it  down  to  instinct,  it  is  really  almost  in- 
explicable. Take  the  case  that  dogs  have  been  known  to 
be  taken  by  railway  journeys  of  many  hundred  miles  and 
to  have  found  their  way  home  again  on  foot.  There  is 
clearly  the  possession  of  a  power  which  is  to  us  absolutely 
unaccountable. 

**  But  here  comes  your  uncle;  he  will  think  I  have  been 
preaching  a  sermon  to  you  if  you  look  so  grave." 

But  Major  Hannay  was  too  occupied  with  his  own 
thoughts  to  notice  Isofoel. 

"Has  anything  gone  wrong,  Major?"  the  Doctor 
asked,  as  he  sa^r  his  face. 

"  I  have  jxist  learnt,"  the  Major  said,  "  that  some  more 
chupaties  were  brought  last  night.  It  is  most  annoying. 
I  have  questioned  several  of  the  native  officers,  and  they 
profess  to  have  no  idea  whence  they  came  or  what  is  the 
moaning  of  them.  I  wish  we  could  get  to  the  bottom 
of  this  thing;  it  keeps  the  troops  in  a  ferment.  If  I  could 
get  hold  of  one  of  these  messengers,  I  would  get  out  of 
him  all  he  knew,  even  if  I  had  to  roast  him  to  make  him 
tell." 

"  My  dear  uncle,"  Isobel  said  reprovingly,  "  I  am  sure 
you  don't  mean  what  you  say." 

"I  don't  know,"  he  said,  half  laughing;  "I  should 
certainly  consider  myself  perfectly  justified  in  taking  un- 
commonly strong  steps  to  try  to  get  to  the  bottom  of  this 
business.  The  thing  is  going  on  all  over  India,  and  it  must 
mean  something,  and  it  is  all  the  worse  if  taken  in  con- 
nection with  this  absurd  idea  about  the  greased  car- 
tridges. I  grant  that  it  was  an  act  of  folly  greasing 
them  at  all,  when  we  know  the  idiotic  prejudices  the 
natives  have;  stiJl,  it  could  hardly  have  been  foreseen 
that  this  stir  would  have  been  made.  The  issue  of  the 
cartridges  has  been  stopped,  but  when  the  natives  once 
get  an  idea  into  their  minds  it  is  next  to  impossible  to 
disabuse  them  of  it.  It  is  a  tiresome  business  altogether." 


Ui2  RVJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

"  Tiffin  ready,  sahib,"  Kumzan  interrupted,  coming 
out  onto  the  veranda. 

"  That  is  right,  Eumzan.  Now,  Isobel,  let  us  think  of 
more  pleasant  subjects." 

"  We  are  to  go  into  the  Hunters'  this  evening,  uncle," 
Isobel  said,  as  she  sat  down.  "  There  is  going  to  be  a 
famous  juggler  there.  There  is  a  note  for  you  from  Mrs. 
Hunter  on  the  side  table." 

"  Very  well,  my  dear;  some  of  these  fellows  are  well 
worth  seeing.  Bathurst  is  coming  in  to  dinner.  I  saw 
him  as  he  was  starting  this  morning,  just  as  he  was 
going  down  to  the  lines,  and  he  accepted.  He  said  he 
should  be  able  to  get  back  in  time.  However,  I  don't 
suppose  he  will  mind  going  round  with  us.  I  hope  you 
will  come,  Doctor,  to  make  up  the  table.  I  have  asked 
the  two  boys  to  come  in." 

"  I  shall  have  to  become  a  permanent  boarder  at  your 
establishment,  Major.  It  is  really  useless  my  keeping  a 
cook  when  I  am  in  here  nearly  half  my  time.  But  I  will 
come.  I  am  off  for  three  days  to-morrow.  A  villager 
came  in  this  morning  to  beg  me  to  go  out  to  rid  them  of  a 
tiger  that  has  established  himself  in  their  neighborhood, 
and  that  is  an  invitation  I  never  refuse,  if  I  can  possibly 
manage  to  make  time  for  it.  Fortunately  everyone  is 
so  healthy  here  at  present  that  I  can  be  very  well 
spared." 

Af  dinner  the  subject  of  juggling  came  up  again,  and 
the  two  subalterns  expressed  their  opinion  strongly  that 
it  was  all  humbug. 

"  Dr.  Wade  believes  in  it,  Mr.  Wilson,"  Isobel  said. 

"  You  don't  say  so,  Doctor;  I  should  have  thought  you 
were  the  last  sort  of  man  who  would  have  believed  in 
conjurers." 

"  It  requires  a  wise  man  to  believe,  Wilson,"  the  Doc- 
tor said;  "any  fool  can  scoff;  the  wise  man  questions. 
When  you  have  been  here  as  long  as  I  have,  and  if  you 
ever  get  as  much  sense  as  I  have,  which  is  doubtful,  you 
may  be  less  positive  in  your  ideas,  if  you  can  call  them 
ideas." 

"That  is  one  for  me,"  Wilson  said  good-humoredly, 
while  the  others  laughed. 


KUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  123 

"Well,  I  have  nover  seen  them,  Doctor,  except  those 
fellows  who  come  around  to  the  veranda,  and  I  have  seen- 
conjurers  at  home  do  ever  so  much  better  tricks  than 
they  do." 

"  What  do  you  think  of  them,  Mr.  Bathurst?  "  Isobel 
asked.  "I  suppose  you  have  seen  some  of  the  better 
sort?" 

"  I  do  not  know  what  to  think  of  them,  Miss  Hannay. 
I  used  to  be  rather  of  Wilson's  opinion,  but  I  have  seen 
things  since  that  I  could  not  account  for  at  all.  There 
was  a  man  here  two  or  three  months  back  who  astounded 
me." 

"  Mrs.  Hunter  said  that  the  girls  had  had  no  oppor- 
tunity of  seeing  a  good  conjurer  since  they  came  out, 
Mr.  Bathurst.  I  suppose  they  did  know  this  man  you  are 
speaking  of  being  here?" 

"  He  was  only  here  for  a  few  hours,  Miss  Hannay.  I 
had  happened  to  meet  him  before,  and  he  gave  me  a 
private  performance,  which  was  quite  different  to  any- 
thing I  have  ever  seen,  though  I  had  often  heard  of  the 
feats  he  had  performed.  I  was  so  impressed  with  them 
that  I  can  assure  you  that  for  a  few  days  I  had  great 
difficulty  in  keeping  my  mind  upon  my  work." 

"What  did  he  do,  Mr.  Bathurst?" 

Bathurst  related  the  feat  of  the  disappearing  girl. 

"  She  must  have  jumped  down  when  you  were  not 
looking,"  Eichards  said,  with  an  air  of  conviction. 

"  Possibly,"  Bathurst  replied  quietly;  "  but  as  I  was 
within  three  or  four  yards  of  the  pole,  and  it  was  per- 
fectly distinct  in  the  light  of  my  lamp,  and  as  I  certainly 
saw  her  till  she  was  some  thirty  or  forty  feet  up  in  the 
air,  I  don't  see  how  she  can  have  managed  it.  For,  even 
supposing  she  could  have  sprung  down  that  distance  with- 
out being  hurt,  she  would  not  have  come  down  so  noise- 
lessly that  I  should  not  have  heard  her." 

"  Still,  if  she  did  not  come  down  that  way,  how  could 
she  have  come?"  Wilson  said. 

"  That  is  exactly  what  I  can't  make  out,"  Bathurst  re- 
plied. "  If  it  should  happen  to  be  the  same  man,  and  he 
will  do  the  same  thing  again,  I  fancy  you  will  be  as  much 
puzzled  as  I  was." 


124  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

After  dinner  was  over  the  party  walked  across  to  Mr. 
Hunter's  bungalow,  where,  in  a  short  time,  the  other 
officers,  their  wives,  and  all  the  other  residents  at  the 
station  were  assembled.  Chairs  were  placed  in  the  ve- 
randa for  the  ladies,  and  a  number  of  lamps  hung  on  the 
wall,  so  that  a  strong  light  was  thrown  upon  the  ground 
in  front  of  it.  In  addition,  four  posts  had  been  driven 
into  the  ground  some  twenty  feet  from  the  veranda,  and 
lamps  had  been  fastened  upon  them. 

"I  don't  know  whether  the  juggler  will  like  that," 
Mr.  Hunter  said,  "  and  I  shan't  light  them  if  he  objects. 
I  don't  think  myself  it  is  quite  fair  having  a  light  behind 
him;  still,  if  he  agrees,  it  will  be  hardly  possible  for  him 
to  make  the  slightest  movement  without  being  seen." 

The  juggler,  who  was  sitting  round  at  the  other  side 
of  the  house,  was  now  called  up.  He  and  the  girl,  who 
followed  him,  salaamed  deeply,  and  made  an  even  deeper 
bow  to  Bathurst,  who  was  standing  behind  Isobel's  chair. 

"You  must  have  paid  them  well,  Bathurst/'  Major 
Hannay  said.  "  They  have  evidently  a  lively  remem- 
brance of  past  favors.  I  suppose  they  are  the  same  you 
were  talking  about?" 

"  Yes,  they  are  the  same  people,  Major."  Then  he  said 
in  the  native  dialect  to  the  juggler,  "Mr.  Hunter  has 
put  some  posts  with  lamps  behind  you,  Rujub,  but  he 
hasn't  lit  them  becau?0  he  did  not  know  whether  you 
would  object." 

"  They  can  be  lighted,  sahib.  My  feats  do  not  depend 
on  darkness.  Any  of  the  sahibs  who  like  to  stand  be- 
hind us  can  do  so  if  Uiey  do  not  come  within  the  line 
of  those  posts." 

"  Let  us  go  out  there,"  Wilson  said  to  Richards,  when 
the  answer  was  translated;  "  we  will  light  the  lamps,  and 
we  shall  see  better  there  than  we  shall  see  here." 

The  two  went  round  to  the  other  side  and  lit  the 
lamps,  and  the  servants  stood  a  short  distance  oiT  on 
either  side. 

The  first  trick  shown  was  the  well-known  mango  tree. 
The  juggler  placed  a  seed  in  the  ground,  poured  some 
water  upon  it  from  a  lota,  and  covered  it  with  a  cloth. 
In  two  or  three  minutes  he  lifted  this,  and  a  plant  four 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  ]or> 

or  five  inches  high  was  seen.  He  covered  this  with  a  tall 
basket,  which  he  first  handed  round  for  inspection.  On 
removing  this  a  mango  tree  some  three  feet  high,  in  full 
bloom,  was  seen.  It  was  again  covered,  and  when  the 
basket  was  removed  it  was  seen  to  be  covered  with  ripe 
fruit,  eliciting  exclamations  of  astonishment  from  those 
among  the  spectators  who  had  not  before  seen  the  trick 
performed. 

"Now,  Wilson,"  the  Doctor  said,  "perhaps  you  will 
be  kind  enough  to  explain  to  us  all  how  this  was 
done?" 

"I  have  no  more  idea  than  Adam,  Doctor." 

"  Then  we  will  leave  it  to  Richards.  He  promised  us 
at  dinner  to  keep  his  eyes  well  open." 

Richards  made  no  reply. 

*  How  was  it  done,  Mr.  Bathurst?  It  seems  almost 
like  a  miracle." 

**  I  am  as  ignorant  as  Wilson  is,  Miss  Hannay.  I  can't 
account  for  it  in  any  way,  and  I  have  seen  it  done  a  score 
of  times.  Ah!  now  he  is  going  to  do  the  basket  trick. 
Don't  be  alarmed  when  you  hear  the  girl  cry  out.  You 
may  be  quite  sure  that  she  is  not  hurt.  The  father  is 
deeply  attached  to  her,  and  would  not  hurt  a  hair  of  her 
head." 

Again  the  usual  methods  were  adopted.  The  basket 
was  placed  on  the  ground  and  the  girl  stepped  into  it, 
without  the  pretense  of  fear  usually  exhibited  by  the 
performers. 

Before  the  trick  began  Major  Hannay  said  to  Captain 
Doolan,  "  Come  round  with  me  to  the  side  of  those  boys. 
I  know  the  first  time  I  saw  it  done  I  was  nearly  throwing 
myself  on  the  juggler,  and  Wilson  is  a  hot-headed  boy, 
and  is  likely  as  not  to  do  so.  If  he  did,  the  man  would 
probabty  go  off  in  a  huff  and  show  us  nothing  more. 
From  what  Bathurst  said,  we  are  likely  to  see  something 
unusual." 

As  soon  as  the  lid  was  put  down,  an  apparently  angry 
colloquy  took  place  between  the  juggler  and  the  girl  in- 
side. Presently  the  man  appeared  to  become  enraged, 
and  snatching  up  a  long,  straight  sword  from  the 
ground,  ran  it  three  or  four  times  through  the  basket. 


126  RVJL'B,   THE  JUGGLER. 

A  loud  shriek  followed  the  first  thrust,  and  then  all  was 
silent. 

Some  of  the  ladies  rose  to  their  feet  with  a  cry  of 
horror,  Isobel  among  them.  Wilson  and  Eichards  both 
started  to  rush  forward,  but  were  seized  by  the  collars 
by  the  Major  and  Captain  Doolan. 

"Will  you  open  the  basket?"  the  juggler  said  quietly 
to  Mrs.  Hunter.  As  she  had  seen  the  trick  before  she 
stepped  forward  without  hesitation,  opened  the  lid  of 
the  basket  and  said,  "  It  is  empty."  The  juggler  took  it 
up,  and  held  it  up,  bottom  upwards. 

"What  on  earth  has  become  of  the  girl?"  Wilson 
exclaimed. 

As  he  spoke  she  passed  between  him  and  Richards 
back  to  her  father's  side. 

"  Well,  I  am  dashed,"  Wilson  murmured.  "  I  would 
not  have  believed  it  if  fifty  people  had  sworn  to  me  they 
had  seen  it."  He  was  too  much  confounded  even  to  re- 
ply, when  the  Doctor  sarcastically  said: 

"  We  are  waiting  for  your  explanation,  gentlemen." 

"  Will  you  ask  him,  Major,"  Richards  said,  as  he  wiped 
his  forehead  with  his  pocket  handkerchief,  "to  make 
sure  that  she  is  solid?" 

The  Major  translated  the  request,  and  the  girl  at  once 
came  across,  and  Richards  touched  her  with  evident 
doubt  as  to  whether  on  not  she  were  really  flesh  and 
blood. 

There  was  much  curiosity  among  those  who  had  seen 
jugglers  before  as  to  what  would  be  the  next  feat,  for 
generally  those  just  seen  were  the  closing  ones  of  a  per- 
formance, but  as  these  were  the  first  it  seemed  that  those 
to  follow  must  be  extraordinary  indeed. 

The  next  feat  was  the  one  shown  to  Bathurst,  and  was 
performed  exactly  as  upon  that  occasion,  except  that  as 
the  girl  rose  beyond  the  circle  of  light  she  remained  dis- 
tinctly visible,  a  sort  of  phosphoric  light  playing  around 
her.  Those  in  the  veranda  had  come  out  now,  the  jug- 
gler warning  them  not  to  approach  within  six  feet  of  the 
pole. 

Higher  and  higher  the  girl  went,  until  those  below 
judged  her  to  be  at  least  a  hundred  and  fifty  feet  from 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  127 

the  ground.  Then  the  light  died  out,  and  she  disap- 
peared from  their  sight.  There  was  silence  for  a  minute 
or  two,  and  then  the  end  of  the  pole  could  be  seen  de- 
scending without  her.  Another  minute,  and  it  was 
reduced  to  the  length  it  had  heen  at  starting. 

The  spectators  were  silent  now;  the  whole  thing  was 
so  strange  and  mysterious  that  they  had  no  words  to 
express  their  feeling. 

The  juggler  said  something  which  Mr.  Hunter  trans- 
lated to  be  a  request  for  all  to  resume  their  places. 

"  That  is  a  wonderful  trick,"  the  Doctor  said  to 
Bathurst.  "  I  have  never  seen  it  done  that  way  before, 
but  I  once  saw  a  juggler  throw  up  a  rope  into  the  air; 
how  high  it  went  I  don't  know,  for,  like  this,  it  was  done 
at  night,  but  it  stood  up  perfectly  stiff,  and  the  juggler's 
attendant  climbed  up.  He  went  higher  and  higher,  and 
we  could  hear  his  voice  coming  down  to  us.  At  last  it 
stopped,  and  then  suddenly  the  rope  fell  in  coils  on  the 
ground,  and  the  boy  walked  quietly  in,  just  as  that  girl 
has  done  now." 

The  girl  now  placed  herself  in  the  center  of  the  open 
space. 

"  You  will  please  not  to  speak  while  this  trick  is  being 
performed,"  the  juggler  said;  "  harm  might  come  of  it. 
i^atch  the  ground  near  her  feet."  A  minute  later  a  dark 
object  made  its  appearance  from  the  ground.  It  rose 
higher  and  higher  with  an  undulating  movement. 

"  By  Jove,  it  is  a  python! "  the  Doctor  whispered  in 
Bathurst's  ear.  A  similar  exclamation  broke  from  sev- 
eral of  the  others,  but  the  juggler  waved  his  hand  with 
an  authoritative  hush.  The  snake  rose  until  its  head 
towered  above  that  of  the  girl,  and  then  began  to  twine 
itself  round  her,  continuously  rising  from  the  ground 
until  it  enveloped  her  with  five  coils,  each  thicker  than  a 
man's  arm.  It  raised  its  head  above  hers  and  hissed 
loudly  and  angrily;  then  its  tail  began  to  descend,  grad- 
ually the  coils  unwound  themselves;  lower  and  lower  it 
descended  until  it  disappeared  altogether. 

It  was  some  time  before  anyone  spoke,  so  great  was 
the  feeling  of  wonder.  The  Doctor  was  the  first  to  break 
the  silence. 


128  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

"  I  have  never  seen  that  before,"  he  said,  "  though  I 
have  heard  of  it  from  a  native  Rajah." 

"  Would  the  sahibs  like  to  see  more? "  the  juggler 
asked. 

The  two  Miss  Hunters,  Mrs.  Rintoul,  and  several 
of  the  others  said  they  had  seen  enough,  but  among  the 
men  there  was  expressed  a  general  wish  to  see  another 
feat. 

"  I  would  not  have  missed  this  for  anything,"  the  Doc- 
tor said.  "It  would  be  simple  madness  to  throw  away 
such  a  chance."  The  ladies,  therefore,  with  the  exception 
of  Mrs.  Hunter,  Mrs.  Doolan,  and  Isobel,  retired  into 
the  house. 

"  You  must  all  go  on  one  side  now,"  the  juggler  said, 
"  for  it  is  only  on  one  side  what  I  am  now  going  to  do 
can  be  seen." 

He  then  proceeded  to  light  a  fire  of  charcoal.  When 
he  had  done  this,  he  said,  "  The  lights  must  now  be 
extinguished  and  the  curtains  drawn,  so  that  the  light 
will  not  stream  out  from  the  house." 

As  soon  as  this  was  done  he  poured  a  powder  over  the 
fire,  and  by  its  faint  light  the  cloud  of  white  smoke  could 
be  seen. 

"  Now  I  will  show  you  the  past,"  he  said.  "  Who 
speaks?" 

There  was  silence,  and  then  Dr.  Wade  said,  "  Show  me 
my  past." 

A  faint  light  stole  up  over  the  smoke — it  grew  brighter 
and  brighter;  and  then  a  picture  was  clearly  seen 
upon  it. 

It  was  the  sea,  a  house  standing  by  itself  in  a  g  den. 
and  separated  from  the  water  only  by  a  road.  Presently 
the  figure  of  a  girl  appeared  at  the  gate,  and,  stepping 
out,  looked  down  the  road  as  if  waiting  for  someone. 
They  could  make  out  all  the  details  of  her  dress  and  see 
her  features  distinctly.  A  low  exclamation  broke  from 
the  Doctor,  then  the  picture  gradually  faded  away. 

"  The  future! "  the  juggler  said,  and  gradually  an 
Indian  scene  appeared  on  the  Einoke.  It  was  a  long, 
straight  road,  bordered  by  a  jungle.  A  native  was  seen 
approaching;  he  paused  in  the  foreground. 


RUJVB,  THE  JUGGLER.  1§§ 

"That  is  you,  Doctor!"  Mr.  Hunter  exclaimed;  "you 
are  got  up  as  a  native,  but  it's  you." 

Almost  at  the  same  moment  two  figures  came  out  from 
the  jungle.  They  were  also  in  native  dress. 

"You  and  Miss  Hannay,"  the  Doctor  said  in  a  low 
tone  to  Bathurst,  "  dressed  like  a  native  and  dyed."  But 
no  one  else  detected  the  disguise,  and  the  picture  again 
faded  away. 

"  That  is  enough,  Eujub,"  Bathurst  said,  for  he  felt 
Isobel  lean  back  heavily  against  the  hand  which  he  held 
at  the  back  of  her  chair,  and  felt  sure  that  she  had 
fainted. 

"  Draw  back  the  curtains,  someone;  I  fancy  this  has 
been  too  much  for  Miss  Hannay." 

The  curtains  were  thrown  back,  and  Mrs.  Hunter,  run- 
ning in,  brought  out  a  lamp.  The  Doctor  had  already 
taken  his  place  by  Isobel's  side. 

"  Yes,  she  has  fainted,"  he  said  to  Bathurst;  "  carry 
her  in  her  chair  as  she  is,  so  that  she  may  be  in  the  room 
when  she  comes  to."  This  was  done. 

"Now,  gentlemen,"  the  Doctor  said,  "you  had  better 
light  the  lamps  again  out  here,  and  leave  the  ladies  and 
me  to  get  Miss  Hannay  round." 

When  the  lamps  were  lit  it  was  evident  that  the  whole 
of  the  men  were  a  good  deal  shaken  by  what  they  had 
seen. 

"Well,"  Mr.  Hunter  said,  "they  told  me  he  was  a 
famous  juggler,  but  that  beat  anything  I  have  seen  be- 
fore. I  have  heard  of  such  things  frequently  from 
natives,  but  it  is  very  seldom  that  Europeans  get  a  chance 
of  seeing  them." 

"I  don't  want  to  see  anything  of  the  sort  again," 
Major  Hannay  said;  "it  shakes  one's  notions  of  things 
in  general.  I  fancy,  Hunter,  that  we  shall  want  a  strong 
peg  all  round  to  steady  our  nerves.  I  own  that  I  feel  as 
shaky  as  a  boy  who  thinks  he  sees  a  ghost  on  his  way 
through  a  churchyard." 

There  was  a  general  murmur  of  agreement,  and  the 
materials  were  quickly  brought. 

"Well,  Wilson,  what  do  you  and  Eiehards  think  of 
it?"  the  Major  went  on,  after  he  had  braced  himself  up 


330  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

with  a  strong  glass  of  brandy  and  water.  "I  should, 
imagine  you  both  feel  a  little  less  skeptical  than  you  did 
two  hours  ago." 

"  I  don't  know  what  Richards  feels,  Major,  but  I  know 
I  feel  like  a  fool.  I  am  sorry,  Bathurst,  for  what  I  said 
at  dinner;  but  it  really  didn't  seem  to  me  to  be  possible 
what  you.  told  us  about  the  girl  going  up  into  the  air  and 
not  coming  down  again.  Well,  after  I  have  seen  what  I 
have  seen  this  evening,  I  won't  disbelieve  anything  I  hear 
in  future  about  these  natives." 

"It  was  natural  enough  that  you.  should  be  incredu- 
lous," Bathurst  said.  "  I  should  have  been  just  as  skepti- 
cal as  you  were  when  I  first  came  out,  and  I  have  been 
astonished  now,  though  I  have  seen  some  good  jugglers 
before." 

At  this  moment  the  Doctor  came  out  again. 

"  Miss  Hannay  is  all  right  again  now,  Major.  I  am 
not  surprised  at  her  fainting;  old  hand  as  I  am  at  these 
matters,  and  I  think  that  I  have  seen  as  much  or  more 
juggling  than  any  man  in  India,  I  felt  very  queer  myself, 
specially  at  the  snake  business.  As  I  said,  I  have  seen 
that  ascension  trick  before,  but  how  it  is  done  I  have  no 
more  idea  than  a  child.  Those  smoke  scenes,  too,  are 
astonishing.  Of  course  they  could  be  accounted  for  as 
thrown  upon  a  column  of  white  smoke  by  a  magic 
lantern,  but  there  was  certainly  no  magic  lantern  here. 
The  juggler  was  standing  close  to  me,  and  the  girl  was 
sitting  at  his  feet.  I  watched  them  both  closely,  and 
certainly  they  had  no  apparatus  about  them  by  which 
such  views  could  be  thrown  on  the  smoke." 

"You  recognized  the  first  scene,  I  suppose,  Doctor?" 
Bathurst  asked. 

"Perfectly.  It  took  me  back  twenty-five  years.  It 
was  a  cottage  near  Sidmouth,  and  was  correct  in  every 
minute  detail.  The  figure  was  that  of  the  young  lady  I 
married  four  years  afterwards.  Many  a  time  have  I 
seen  her  standing  just  like  that,  as  I  went  along  the  road 
to  meet  her  from  the  little  inn  at  which  I  was  stopping; 
the  very  pattern  of  her  dress,  which  I  need  hardly  say 
has  never  been  in  my  mind  all  these  years,  was  recalled 
to  me. 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER.  131 

"  Had  I  been  thinking  of  the  scene  at  the  time  I  could 
have  accounted  for  it  somehow.,  upon  the  theory  that  in 
some  way  or  other  the  juggler  was  conscious  of  my 
thought  and  reflected  it  upon  the  smoke — how,  I  don't 
at  all  mean  to  say;  but  undoubtedly  there  exists,  to  some 
extent,  the  power  of  thought-reading.  It  is  a  mysteri- 
ous subject,  and  one  of  which  we  know  absolutely  noth- 
ing at  present,  but  maybe  in  upwards  of  a  hundred  years 
mankind  will  have  discovered  many  secrets  of  nature  in 
that  direction.  But  I  certainly  was  not  thinking  of  that 
scene  when  I  spoke  and  said  the  *  past/  I  had  no  doubt 
that  he  would  show  me  something  of  the  past,  but  cer- 
tainly no  particular  incident  passed  through  my  mind 
before  that  picture  appeared  on  the  smoke." 

"  The  other  was  almost  as  curious,  Doctor,"  Captain 
Doolan  said,  "  for  it  was  certainly  you  masquerading  as  a 
native.  I  believe  the  other  was  Bathurst;  it  struck  me 
so;  and  he  seemed  to  be  running  off  with  some  native 
girl.  What  on  earth  could  that  all  mean?  " 

"  It  is  no  use  puzzling  ourselves  about  it,"  the  Doctor 
said.  "  It  may  or  may  not  come  true.  I  have  no  incli- 
nation to  go  about  dressed  out  as  a  native  at  present,  but 
there  is  no  saying  what  I  may  come  to.  There  is  quite 
enough  for  us  to  wonder  at  in  the  other  things.  The 
mango  and  basket  tricks  I  have  seen  a  dozen  times,  and 
am  no  nearer  now  than  I  was  at  first  to  understanding 
them.  That  ascension  trick  beats  me  altogether,  and 
there  was  something  horribly  uncanny  about  the  snake." 

"Do  you  think  it  was  a  real  snake,  Doctor?" 

"  That  I  cannot  tell  you,  Eichards.  Every  movement 
was  perfectly  natural.  I  could  see  the  working  of  the 
ribs  as  it  wound  itself  round  the  girl,  and  the  quivering 
of  its  tongue  as  it  raised  its  head  above  her.  At  any 
other  time  I  should  be  ready  to  take  my  affidavit  that  it 
was  a  python  of  unusual  size,  but  at  the  present  moment 
I  should  not  like  to  give  a  decided  opinion  about  anything 
connected  with  the  performance." 

"I  suppose  it  is  no  use  asking  the  juggler  any  ques- 
tions, Hunter?  "  one  of  the  other  men  said. 

"Not  in  the  least;  they  never  do  answer  questions. 
The  higher  class  of  jugglers  treat  their  art  as  a  sort  of 


132  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER 

religious  mystery,  and  there  is  no  instance  known  of 
their  opening  their  lips,  although  large  sums  have  fre- 
quently been  offered  them.  In  the  present  case  you  ^ill 
certainly  ask  no  questions,  for  the  man  and  girl  have 
both  disappeared  with  the  box  and  apparatus  and  every- 
thing connected  with  them.  They  must  have  slipped  off 
•directly  the  last  trick  was  over,  and  before  we  had  the 
lamp  lighted.  I  sent  after  him  at  once,  but  the  servant 
could  find  no  signs  of  him.  I  am  annoyed  because  I  have 
not  paid  them." 

"  I  am  not  surprised  at  that/'  Dr.  Wade  said.  "  It  is 
quite  in  accordance  with  what  I  have  heard  of  them. 
They  live  by  exhibiting  what  you  may  call  their  ordinary 
tricks;  but  I  have  heard  from  natives  that  when  they 
show  any  what  I  may  call  supernatural  feats,  they  do  not 
take  money.  It  is  done  to  oblige  some  powerful  Rajah, 
and  as  I  have  said,  it  is  only  on  a  very  few  occasions  that 
Europeans  have  ever  seen  them.  Well,  we  may  as  well 
go  in  to  the  ladies.  I  don't  fancy  any  of  them  would  be 
inclined  to  come  out  onto  the  veranda  again  this 
evening." 

No  one  was  indeed  inclined  even  for  talk,  and  in  a  very 
short  time  the  party  broke  up  and  returned  home. 

"Come  and  smoke  a  pipe  with  me,  Bathurst,  before 
you  turn  in,"  the  Doctor  said,  as  they  went  out.  "  I 
don't  think  either  of  us  will  be  likely  to  go  to  sleep  for 
some  time.  What  is  your  impression  of  all  this?" 

"My  impression,  certainly,  is  that  it  is  entirely  unac- 
countable by  any  laws  with  which  we  are  acquainted, 
Doctor." 

"  That  is  just  my  idea,  and  always  has  been  since  I 
first  saw  any  really  good  juggling  out  here.  I  don't  be- 
lieve in  the  least  in  anything  supernatural,  but  I  can 
quite  believe  that  there  are  many  natural  laws  of  which 
at  present  we  are  entirely  ignorant.  I  believe  the  knowl- 
edge of  them  at  one  time  existed,  but  has  been  entirely 
lost,  at  any  rate  among  Western  peoples.  The  belief  in 
magic  is  as  old  as  anything  we  have  knowledge  of.  The 
magicians  at  the  court  of  Pharaoh  threw  down  their 
rods  and  turned  them  into  serpents.  The  Witch  of 
Endor  oalLed  up  the  spirit  of  Samuel.  The  Greeks,  by 


RTJJUB,  THE  JUGGLER.  133 

no  means  a  nation  of  fools,  believed  implicitly  in  the 
Oracles.  Coming  down,  to  comparatively  later  times, 
the  workers  of  magic  burnt  their  books  before  St.  Paul. 
It  doesn't  say,  mind  you,  that  those  who  pretended  to 
work  magic  did  so;  but  those  who  worked  magic. 

"Early  travelers  in  Persia  and  India  have  reported 
things  they  saw  far  surpassing  any  we  have  witnessed 
this  evening,  and  there  is  certainly  a  sect  in  India  at 
present,  or  rather  a  body  of  men,  and  those,  as  far  as  I 
have  been  able  to  learn,  of  an  exceptionally  intelligent 
class,  who  believe  that  they  possess  an  almost  absolute 
mastery  over  the  powers  of  nature.  You  see,  fifty  years 
back,  if  anyone  had  talked  about  traveling  at  fifty  miles 
an  hour,  or  sending  a  message  five  thousand  miles  in 
a  minute,  he  would  have  been  regarded  as  a  madman. 
There  may  yet  be  other  discoveries  as  startling  to  be 
made. 

"  When  I  was  in  England  I  heard  something  of  a  set 
of  people  in  America  who  called  themselves  Spiritualists, 
some  of  whom — notably  a  young  man  named  Home — • 
claimed  to  have  the  power  of  raising  themselves  through 
the  air.  I  am  far  from  saying  that  such  a  power  exists; 
it  is  of  course  contrary  to  what  we  know  of  the  laws  of 
nature,  but  should  such  a  power  exist  it  would  account 
for  the  disappearance  of  the  girl  from  the  top  of  the 
pole.  Highland  second-sight,  carried  somewhat  farther, 
and  united  with  the  power  of  conveying  the  impressions 
to  others,  would  account  for  the  pictures  on  the  smoke, 
that  is,  supposing  them  to  be  true,  and  personally  I 
own  that  I  expect  they  will  prove  to  be  true — unlikely 
as  it  may  seem  that  you,  I,  and  Miss  Hannay  will  ever  be 
going  about  in  native  attire." 

By  this  time  they  had  reached  the  Doctor's  bungalow, 
and  had  comfortably  seated  themselves. 

"  There  is  one  thing  that  flashed  across  me  this  even- 
ing," Bathurst  said.  "I  told  you,  that  first  evening  I 
met  Miss  Hannay,  that  I  had  a  distinct  knowledge  of  her 
face.  You  laughed  at  me  at  the  time,  and  it  certainly 
seemed  absurd,  but  I  was  convinced  I  was  not  wrong. 
Now  I  know  how  it  was;  I  told  you  at  dinner  to-day  about 
the  feat  of  the  girl  going  up  and  not  coming  down 


134  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

again;  but  I  did  not  tell  you — for  you  can  understand 
it  is  a  thing  that  I  should  not  care  to  talk  much 
about — that  he  showed  me  a  picture  like  those  we  saw 
to-night. 

"  It  was  a  house  standing  in  a  courtyard,  with  a  high 
wall  round  it.  I  did  not  particularly  observe  the  house. 
It  was  of  the  ordinary  native  type,  and  might,  for  any- 
thing I  know,  be  the  house  in  the  middle  of  this  station 
used  as  a  court-house  by  Hunter,  and  for  keeping  stores, 
and  so  on.  I  don't  say  it  was  that;  I  did  not  notice  it 
much.  There  was  a  breach  in  the  outside  wall,  and  round 
it  there  was  a  fierce  fight  going  on.  A  party  of  officers 
and  civilians  were  repelling  the  assault  of  a  body  of 
Sepoys.  On  the  terraced  roof  of  the  house  others  were 
standing  firing  and  looking  on,  and  I  think  engaged  in 
loading  rifles  were  two  or  three  women.  One  of  them  I 
particularly  noticed;  and,  now  I  recall  it,  her  face  was 
that  of  Miss  Hannay;  of  that  I  am  absolutely  cer- 
tain." 

"  It  is  curious,  lad,"  the  Doctor  said,  after  a  pause; 
"  and  the  picture,  you  see,  has  so  far  come  true  that  you 
have  made  the  acquaintance  with  one  of  the  actors  whom 
you  did  not  previously  know." 

"  I  did  not  believe  in  the  truth  of  it,  Doctor,  and  I  do 
not  believe  in  it  now.  There  was  one  feature  in  the  fight 
which  was,  as  I  regret  to  know,  impossible." 

"And  what  was  that,  Bathurst?" 

Bathurst  was  silent  for  a  time. 

"You  are  an  old  friend,  Doctor,  and  you  will  under- 
stand my  case,  and  make  more  allowances  for  it  than  most 
people  would.  When  I  first  came  out  here  I  dare  say  you 
heard  some  sort  of  reports  as  to  why  I  had  left  the  army 
and  had  afterwards  entered  the  Civil  Service." 

"  There  were  some  stupid  rumors,"  the  Doctor  said, 
"  that  you  had  gone  home  on  sick  leave  just  after  the  bat- 
tle of  Chillianwalla,  and  had  then  sold  out,  because  you 
had  shown  the  white  feather.  I  need  not  say  that  I  did 
not  give  any  credit  to  it;  there  is  always  gossip  flying 
about  as  to  the  reasons  a  man  leaves  the  army." 

"It  was  quite  true,  Doctor.  It  is  a  hideous  thing  ta 
say,  but  constitutionally  I  am  a  coward." 


RUJVB,  THE  JUGGLER.  135 

"I  cannot  believe  it,"  the  Doctor  said  warmly. 
"  Now  that  I  know  you,  you  are  the  last  man  of  whom  I 
would  credit  such  a  thing." 

"  It  is  the  hane  of  my  life,"  Bathurst  went  on.  "  It 
is  my  misfortune,  for  I  will  not  allow  it  is  my  fault.  In 
many  things  I  am  not  a  coward.  I  think  I  could  face  any 
danger  if  the  danger  were  a  silent  one,  but  I  cannot  stand 
noise.  The  report  of  a  gun  makes  me  tremble  all  over, 
even  when  it  is  a  blank  cartridge  that  is  fired.  When  I 
was  born  my  father  was  in  India.  A  short  time  before 
I  came  into  the  world  my  mother  had  a  great  fright. 
Her  house  in  the  country  was  broken  into  by  burglars, 
who  entered  the  room  and  threatened  to  blow  out  her 
brains  if  she  moved;  but  the  alarm  was  given,  the  men 
servants  came  down  armed,  there  was  a  struggle  in  her 
room,  pistol  shots  were  fired,  and  the  burglars  were  over- 
powered and  captured.  My  mother  fainted  and  was  ill 
for  weeks  afterwards — in  fact,  until  the  time  I  was  born; 
and  she  died  a  few  days  later,  never  having,  the  doctor 
said,  recovered  from  the  shock  she  had  suffered  that 
night. 

"  I  grew  up  a  weakly,  timid  boy — the  sort  of  boy  that 
is  always  bullied  at  school.  My  father,  as  you  know,  was 
a  general  officer,  and  did  not  return  home  until  I  was  ten 
years  old.  He  was  naturally  much  disappointed  in  me, 
and  I  think  that  added  to  my  timidity,  for  it  grew  upon 
me  rather  than  otherwise.  Morally,  I  was  not  a  coward. 
At  school  I  can  say  that  I  never  told  a  lie  to  avoid  pun- 
ishment, and  my  readiness  to  speak  the  truth  did  not 
add  to  my  popularity  among  the  other  boys,  and  I  used 
to  be  called  a  sneak,  which  was  even  more  hateful  than 
being  called  a  coward. 

"  As  I  grew  up  I  shook  off  my  delicacy,  and  grew,  as 
you  see,  into  a  strong  man.  I  then  fought  several  battles 
at  school;  I  learnt  to  ride,  and  came  to  have  confidence 
in  myself,  and  though  I  had  no  particular  fancy  for  the 
army  my  father's  heart  was  so  set  on  it  that  I  offered  no 
objection.  That  the  sound  of  a  gun  was  abhorrent  to  me 
I  knew,  for  the  first  time  my  father  put  a  gun  in  my  hand 
and  I  fired  it,  I  fainted,  and  nothing  would  persuade  me 
to  try  again.  Still  I  thought  that  this  was  the  result 


136  KUJVB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

of  nervousness  as  to  firing  it  myself,  and  that  I  should 
get  over  it  in  time. 

"  A  month  or  two  after  I  was  gazetted  I  went  out  to 
India  with  the  regiment,  and  arrived  just  in  time  to  get 
up  by  forced  marches  to  take  part  in  the  battle  of  Chil- 
lianwalla.  The  consequence  was  that  up  to  that  time  I 
literally  had  heard  no  musketry  practice. 

"  Of  the  events  of  that  battle  I  have  no  remembrance 
whatever;  from  the  moment  the  first  gun  was  fired  to  the 
end  of  the  day  I  was  as  one  paralyzed.  I  saw  nothing,  I 
heard  nothing,  I  moved  mechanically;  but  happily  my 
will  or  my  instinct  kept  me  in  my  place  in  the  regiment. 
When  all  was  over,  and  silence  followed  the  din,  I  fell  to 
the  ground  insensible.  Happily  for  me  the  doctors  de- 
clared I  was  in  a  state  of  high  fever,  and  I  so  remained 
for  a  fortnight.  As  soon  as  I  got  better  I  was  sent  down 
the  country,  and  I  at  once  sent  in  my  papers  and  went 
home.  No  doubt  the  affair  was  talked  of,  and  there  were 
whispers  as  to  the  real  cause  of  my  illness.  My  father 
was  terribly  angry  when  I  returned  home  and  told  him 
the  truth  of  the  matter.  That  his  son  should  be  a  coward 
was  naturally  an  awful  blow  to  him.  Home  was  too  un- 
happy to  be  endured,  and  when  an  uncle  of  mine,  who 
was  a  director  on  the  Company's  Board,  offered  me  a 
berth  in  the  Civil  Service,  I  thankfully  accepted  it,  be- 
lieving that  in  that  capacity  I  need  never  hear  a  gun 
fired  again. 

"You  will  understand,  then,  the  anxiety  I  am  feeling 
owing  to  these  rumors  of  disaffection  among  the  Sepoys, 
and  the  possibility  of  anything  like  a  general  mutiny. 

"  It  is  not  of  being  killed  that  I  have  any  fear;  upon 
the  contrary,  I  have  suffered  so  much  in  the  last  eight 
years  from  the  consciousness  that  the  reason  why  I  left 
the  army  was  widely  known,  that  I  should  welcome  death, 
if  it  came  to  me  noiselessly;  but  the  thought  that  if  there 
is  trouble  I  shall  assuredly  not  be  able  to  play  my  part 
like  a  man  fills  me  with  absolute  horror,  and  now  more 
than  ever. 

"  So  you  will  understand  now  why  the  picture  I  saw,  in 
which  I  was  fighting  in  the  middle  of  the  Sepoys,  is  to  roe 
not  only  improbable,  but  simply  impossible.  It  is  a  hor- 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  13) 

rible  story  to  have  to  tell.  This  is  the  first  time  I  have 
opened  my  lips  on  the  subject  since  I  spoke  to  my  father, 
but  I  know  that  you,  both  as  a  friend  and  a  doctor,  will 
pitj  rather  than  blame  me." 


CHAPTER    X. 

As  Bathurst  brought  his  story  to  its  conclusion  the 
Doctor  rose  and  placed  his  hand  kindly  on  his  shoulder. 

"I  certainly  should  not  think  of  blaming  you, 
Bathurst.  What  you  tell  me  is  indeed  a  terrible  misfor- 
tune, situated  as  we  may  be  soon,  though  I  trust  and  be- 
lieve that  all  this  talk  about  the  Sepoys  is  moonshine. 
I  own  that  I  am  surprised  at  your  story,  for  I  should 
have  said  from  my  knowledge  of  you  that  though,  as  I 
could  perceive,  of  a  nervous  temperament,  you  were  likely 
to  be  cool  and  collected  in  danger.  But  certainly  your 
failing  is  no  fault  of  your  own." 

"  That  is  but  a  small  consolation  to  me,  Doctor.  Men 
do  not  ask  why  and  wherefore — they  simply  point  the 
finger  of  scorn  at  a  coward.  The  misfortune  is  that  I 
am  here.  I  might  have  lived  a  hundred  lives  in  England 
and  never  once  had  occasion  to  face  danger,  and  I 
thought  that  I  should  have  been  equally  secure  as  an 
Indian  civilian.  Now  this  trouble  is  coming  upon  us." 

"Why  don't  you  take  your  leave,  lad?  You  have  been 
out  seven  years  now  without  a  day's  relaxation,  except, 
indeed,  the  three  days  you  were  over  with  me  at  Cawn- 
pore.  •  Why  not  apply  for  a  year's  leave?  You  have  a 
good  excuse,  too;  you  did  not  go  home  at  the  death  of 
your  father,  two  years  ago,  and  could  very  well  plead 
urgent  family  affairs  requiring  your  presence  in  Eng- 
land." 

"  No,  I  will  not  do  that,  Doctor;  I  will  not  run  away 
from  danger  again.  You  understand  me,  I  have  not  the 
least  fear  of  the  danger;  I  in  no  way  hold  to  my  life;  I 
do  not  think  I  am  afraid  of  physical  pain.  It  seems  to 
me  that  I  could  undertake  any  desperate  service;  I  dread 
it  simply  because  I  know  that  when  the  din  of  battle 
begins  my  body  will  overmaster  my  mind,  and  that  I  shall 


138  RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER. 

be  as  I  was  at  Chillianwalla,  completely  paralyzed.  You 
wondered  to-night  why  that  juggler  should  have  exhi&- 
ited  feats  seldom,  almost  never,  shown  to  Europeans? 
He  did  it  to  please  me.  I  saved  his  daughter's  life — this 
is  between  ourselves,  Doctor,  and  is  not  to  go  farther. 
But,  riding  in  from  Narkeet,  I  heard  a  cry,  and,  hurrying 
on,  came  upon  that  man-eater  you  shot  the  other  day, 
standing  over  the  girl,  with  her  father  half  beside  him- 
self, gesticulating  in  front  of  him.  I  jumped  off  and 
attacked  the  brute  with  my  heavy  hunting-whip,  and 
he  was  so  completely  astonished  that  he  turned  tail  and 
bolted." 

"  The  deuce  he  did,"  the  Doctor  exclaimed;  "  and  yet 
you  talk  of  being  a  coward!  " 

"  No,  I  do  not  say  that  I  am  a  coward  generally;  as  long 
as  I  have  to  confront  danger  without  noise  I  believe  I 
could  do  as  well  as  most  men." 

"But  why  didn't  you  mention  this  business  with  the 
tiger,  Bathurst?" 

"  Because,  in  the  first  place,  it  was  the  work  of  a  mere 
passing  impulse;  and  in  the  second,  because  I  should 
have  gained  credit  for  being  what  I  am  not — a  brave 
man.  It  will  be  bad  enough  when  the  truth  becomes 
known,  but  it  would  be  all  the  worse  if  I  had  been  trad- 
ing on  a  false  reputation;  therefore  I  particularly  charged 
Rujub  to  say  nothing  about  the  affair  to  anyone." 

"  Well,  putting  this  for  a  time  aside,  Bathurst,  what 
do  you  think  of  that  curious  scene,  you  and  I  and  Miss 
Hannay  disguised  as  natives?" 

"  Taking  it  with  the  one  I  saw  of  the  attack  of  Sepoys 
upon  a  house,  it  looks  to  me,  Doctor,  as  if  there  would  be 
a  nmtiny,  and  that  that  mutiny  would  be  attended  with 
partial  success,  that  a  portion  of  the  garrison,  at  any  rate, 
will  escape,  and  that  Miss  Hannay  will  be  traveling  down 
the  country,  perhaps  to  Cawnpore,  in  your  charge,  while 
I  in  some  way  shall  be  with  you,  perhaps  acting  as  guide." 

"It  may  possibly  be  so,"  the  Doctor  agreed.  "It  is 
at  any  rate  very  curious.  I  wonder  whether  Miss  Hannay 
recognized  herself  in  the  disguise." 

"  I  should  hope  not,  Doctor;  if  it  all  comes  true  there 
will  be  enough  for  her  to  bear  without  looking  forward 


RUJUB.   THE  JUGGLER.  239 

to  that.  I  should  he  glad  if  the  detachment  were  ordered 
back  to  Cawnpore." 

"  Well,  I  should  not  have  thought  that,  Bathurst." 

"I  know  what  you  mean,  Doctor,  but  it  is  for  that 
reason  I  wish  they  were  gone.  I  believe  now  that  you 
insisted  on  my  coming  down  to  spend  those  three  days 
with  you  at  Cawnpore  specially  that  I  might  meet  her." 

"  That  is  so,  Bathurst.  I  like  her  so  much  that  I 
should  be  very  sorry  to  see  her  throw  herself  away  upon 
some  empty-headed  fool.  I  like  her  greatly,  and  I  was 
convinced  that  you  were  just  the  man  to  make  her  happy; 
and  as  I  knew  that  you  had  good  prospects  in  England, 
I  thought  it  would  be  a  capital  match  for  her,  although 
you  are  but  a  young  civilian;  and  I  own  that  of  late  I 
have  thought  things  were  going  on  very  well." 

"Perhaps  it  might  have  been  so,  Doctor,  had  it  not 
been  for  this  coming  trouble,  which,  if  our  fears  are 
realized,  will  entirely  put  an  end  even  to  the  possibility 
of  what  you  are  talking  about.  I  shall  be  shown  to  be  a 
coward,  and  I  shall  do  my  best  to  put  myself  in  the  way 
of  being  killed.  I  should  not  like  to  blow  my  brains  out, 
but  if  the  worst  comes  to  the  worst  I  will  do  that  rather 
than  go  on  living  after  I  have  again  disgraced  myself." 

"  You  look  at  it  too  seriously,  Bathurst." 

"  Not  a  bit  of  it,  Doctor,  and  you  know  it." 

"  But  if  the  Sepoys  rise,  Bathurst,  why  should  they 
harm  their  officers?  They  may  be  discontented,  they  may 
have  a  grievance  against  the  Government,  they  may  re- 
fuse to  obey  orders  and  may  disband;  but  why  on  earth 
should  they  attack  men  who  have  always  been  kind  to 
them,  whom  they  have  followed  in  battle,  and  against 
whom  they  have  not  as  much  as  a  shadow  of  com- 
plaint? " 

"I  hope  it  may  be  so  most  sincerely,"  Bathurst  said; 
"but  one  never  can  say.  I  can  hardly  bring  myself  to 
believe  that  they  will  attack  the  officers,  much  less  in- 
jure women  and  children.  Still,  I  have  a  most  uneasy 
foreboding  of  evil." 

"  You  have  heard  nothing  from  the  natives  as  to  any 
coining  trouble?  " 

"  Nothing  at  all,  Doctor,  and  I  am  convinced  that 


140  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

nothing  is  known  among  them,  or  at  any  rate  by  the 
great  bulk  of  them.  Only  one  person  has  ever  said  a 
word  to  me  that  could  indicate  a  knowledge  of  coming 
trouble,  and  that  was  this  juggler  we  saw  to-night.  I 
thought  nothing  of  his  words  at  the  time.  That  picture 
he  showed  me  of  the  attack  by  Sepoys  first  gave  me  an 
idea  that  his  words  might  mean  something.  Since  then 
we  have  heard  much  more  of  this  discontent,  and  I  am 
convinced  now  that  the  words  had  a  meaning.  They 
were  simple  enough.  It  was  merely  his  assurance,  two  or 
three  times  repeated,  that  he  would  be  ready  to  repay  the 
service  I  had  rendered  him  with  his  life.  It  might  have 
been  a  mere  phrase,  and  so  I  thought  at  the  time.  But 
I  think  now  he  had  before  him  the  possibility  of  some 
event  occurring  in  which  he  might  be  able  to  repay  the 
service  I  had  rendered  him/' 

"  There  may  have  been  something  in  it  and  there  may 
not,"  the  Doctor  said;  "but,  at  any  rate,  Bathurst,  he 
ought  to  be  a  potent  ally.  There  doesn't  seem  any  limit 
to  his  powers,  and  he  might,  for  aught  one  knows,  be  able 
to  convey  you  away  as  he  did  his  daughter." 

The  Doctor  spoke  lightly,  and  then  added,  "  But  seri- 
ously, the  man  might  be  of  service.  These  jugglers  go 
among  people  of  all  classes.  They  are  like  the  trouba- 
dours of  the  Middle  Ages,  welcomed  everywhere;  and 
they  no  doubt  have  every  opportunity  of  learning  what 
is  going  on,  and  it  may  be  that  he  will  be  able  to  give  you 
timely  warning  should  there  be  any  trouble  at  hand." 

"  That  is  possible  enough,"  Bathurst  agreed.  "  Wei], 
Doctor,  I  shall  be  on  horseback  at  six,  so  it  is  time  for 
me  to  turn  in,"  and  taking  his  hat,  walked  across  to  his 
own  bungalow. 

The  Doctor  sat  for  some  time  smoking  before  he  turned 
into  bed.  He  had,  as  he  had  said,  heard  rumors,  when 
Bathurst  first  came  out,  that  he  had  shown  the  white 
feather,  but  he  had  paid  little  attention  to  it  at  the  time. 
They  had  been  together  at  the  first  station  to  which 
Bathurst  was  appointed  when  he  came  out,  and  he  had 
come  to  like  him  greatly;  but  his  evident  disinclination 
to  join  in  any  society,  his  absorption  in  his  work,  and  a 
certain  air  of  gravity  unnatural  i»  a  young  man  of 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER.  141 

twenty,  had  puzzled  him.  He  had  at  the  time  come  to 
the  conclusion  that  he  must  have  had  some  unfortunate 
love  affair,  or  have  got  into  some  very  serious  trouble  at 
home.  In  time  that  impression  had  worn  off.  A  young 
man  speedily  recovers  from  such  a  blow,  however  heavy, 
but  no  change  had  taken  place  in  Bathurst,  and  the 
Doctor  had  in  time  become  so  accustomed  to  his  manner 
that  he  had  ceased  to  wonder  ove<  it.  Now  it  was  all 
explained.  He  sat  thinking  over  it  deeply  for  an  hour, 
and  then  laid  down  his  pipe. 

"  It  is  a  terrible  pity  he  came  out  here,"  he  said.  "  Of 
course  it  is  not  his  fault  in  the  slightest  degree.  One 
might  as  well  blame  a  man  for  being  born  a  hunchback; 
out  if  there  should  be  a  row  out  here  it  will  be  terrible 
for  him.  I  can  quite  understand  his  feeling  about  it. 
tf  I  were  placed  as  he  is,  and  were  called  upon  to  fight, 
I  should  take  a  dose  of  prussic  acid  at  cnce.  Men  talk 
about  their  civilization,  but  we  are  little  better  than 
savages  in  our  instincts.  Courage  is  an  almost  useless 
virtue  in  a  civilized  community,  but  if  it  is  called  for,  we 
despise  a  man  in  whom  it  is  wanting,  just  as  heartily  as 
our  tattooed  ancestors  did.  Of  course,  in  him  it  is  a 
purely  constitutional  failing,  and  I  have  no  doubt  he 
would  be  as  brave  as  a  lion  in  any  other  circumstances — 
in  fact,  the  incident  of  his  attacking  the  tiger  with  that 
dog-whip  of  his  shows  that  he  is  so;  and  yet,  if  he  should 
fail  when  the  lives  of  women  are  at  stake  it  would  be  a 
kindness  to  give  him  that  dose  of  prussic  acid,  especially 
as  Isobel  Hannay  will  be  here.  That  is  the  hardest  part 
of  it  to  him,  I  can  see." 

Three  days  later  the  force  at  Deennugghur  was  in- 
creased by  the  arrival  of  a  troop  of  native  cavalry,  under 
a  Captain  Forster,  who  had  just  returned  from  leave  in 
England. 

"Do  you  know  Captain  Forster,  Doctor?"  Isobei 
Hannay  asked,  on  the  afternoon  of  his  arrival.  "  Uncle 
tells  me  he  is  coming  to  dinner." 

"  Then  you  must  look  after  your  heart,  my  dear.  He 
is  one  of  the  best-looking  fellows  out  here,  a  dashing 
soldier,  and  a  devoted  servant  of  the  fair  sex." 

"  You  don't  like  him,  Doctor,"  Isobel  said  quietly. 


142  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

"  I  have  not  said  so,  my  dear — far  from  it.  I  think  I 
said  a  good  deal  for  him." 

"  Yes,  but  you  don't  like  him,  Doctor.    Why  is  that?  " 

"  I  suppose  because  he  is  not  my  sort  of  man/'  the 
Doctor  said.  "  I  have  not  seen  him  since  his  regiment 
and  ours  were  at  Delhi  together,  and  we  did  not  see  much 
of  each  other  then.  Our  tastes  did  not  lie  in  the  same 
direction." 

"  Well,  I  know  what  your  tastes  are,  Doctor;  what  are 
his?" 

"  I  will  leave  you  to  find  out,  my  dear.  He  is  all  I 
told  you — a  very  handsome  man,  with,  as  is  perhaps 
natural,  a  very  good  opinion  of  himself,  and  he  distin- 
guished himself  more  than  once  in  the  Punjaub  by  acts 
of  personal  gallantry.  I  have  no  doubt  he  thinks  it  an 
awful  nuisance  coming  to  a  quiet  little  station  like  this, 
and  he  will  probably  try  to  while  away  his  time  by  mak- 
ing himself  very  agreeable  to  jou.  But  I  don't  think  vow 
need  quite  believe  all  that  he  says." 

"  I  have  long  ago  got  over  the  weakness  of  believing 
people's  flattery,  Doctor.  However,  now  you  have  fore- 
warned me  I  am  forearmed." 

The  Doctor  hesitated,  and  then  said  gravely,  "  It  is 
not  my  habit  to  speak  ill  of  people,  my  dear.  You  do  me 
the  justice  to  believe  that?  " 

"  I  am  sure  it  is  not,  Doctor." 

"  Well,  child,  in  a  station  like  this  you  must  see  a  good 
deal  of  this  man.  He  is  a  man  who  has  won  many  hearts, 
and  thrown  them  away.  Don't  let  him  win  yours.  He 
is  not  a  good  man;  he  has  been  mixed  up  in  several  grave 
scandals;  he  has  been  the  ruin  of  more  than  one  young 
man  at  cards  and  billiards;  he  is  in  all  respects  a  dan- 
gerous man.  Anatomically  I  suppose  he  has  a  heart, 
morally  he  has  not  a  vestige  of  one.  Whatever  you  do, 
child,  don't  let  him  make  you  like  him." 

"  I  don't  think  there  is  much  fear  of  that,  Doctor,  after 
what  you  have  said,"  she  replied,  with  a  quiet  smile;  "  and 
I  am  obliged  to  you  indeed  for  warning  me." 

"  I  know  I  am  an  old  fool  for  meddling,  but  you  know, 
my  dear,  I  feel  a  sort  of  personal  relationship  to  you, 
after  your  having  been  in  my  charge  for  six  months.  I 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER.  143 

don't  know  a  single  man  in  all  India  whom  I  wculd  not 
rather  see  you  fall  in  love  with  than  with  Captain 
Forster." 

"I  thought  uncle  did  not  seem  particularly  pleased 
when  he  came  in  to  tiffin,  and  said  there  was  a  new 
arrival." 

"I  should  think  not/'  the  Doctor  said;  "the  man  is 
notoriously  a  dangerous  fellow;  and  yet,  as  he  has  never 
actually  outstepped  what  are  considered  the  bounds 
which  constitute  an  officer  and  a  gentleman,  he  has  re- 
tained his  commission,  but  it  has  been  a  pretty  close 
shave  once  or  twice.  Your  uncle  must  know  all  about 
him,  everyone  does;  but  I  don't  suppose  the  Major  will 
open  his  mouth  to  you  on  the  subject — he  is  one  of  those 
chivalrous  sort  of  men  who  never  thinks  evil  of  anyone, 
unless  he  is  absolutely  obliged  to;  but  in  a  case  like  this  I 
think  he  is  wrong.  At  any  rate,  I  have  done  what  I  con- 
sider to  be  my  duty  in  the  matter.  Now  I  leave  it  in 
your  hands.  I  am  glad  to  see  that  you  are  looking  quite 
yourself  again,  and  have  got  over  your  fainting  fit  of  the 
other  night.  I  quite  expected  to  be  sent  for  professionally 
the  next  morning." 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  have  quite  got  over  it,  Doctor;  I  can't 
make  out  how  I  was  so  silly  as  to  faint.  I  never  did  such 
a  thing  before,  but  it  was  so  strange  and  mysterious  that 
I  felt  quite  bewildered,  and  the  picture  quite  frightened 
me,  but  I  don't  know  why.  This  is  the  first  chance  I 
have  had  since  of  speaking  to  you  alone.  What  do  you 
think  of  it,  and  why  should  you  be  dressed  up  as  a  native? 

and  why  should ?  "  She  stopped  with  a  heightened 

color  on  her  cheeks. 

"You  and  Bathurst  be  dressed  up,  too?  So  you 
notice  your  own  likeness;  nobody  else  but  Bathurst  and 
myself  recognized  the  two  figures  that  came  out  of  the 
wood." 

u  Oh,  you  saw  it  too,  Doctor.  I  thought  I  might  have 
been  mistaken,  for,  besides  being  stained,  the  face  was  all 
obscured  somehow.  Neither  uncle,  nor  Mrs.  Hunter,  nor 
the  girls,  nor  anyone  else  I  have  spoken  to  seem  to  have 
had  an  idea  it  was  me,  though  tlrey  all  recognized  you. 
What  could  it  mean?  " 


144  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

"  I  have  not  the  slightest  idea  in  the  world,"  the  Doc- 
tor said;  "  very  likely  it  meant  nothing.  I  certainly 
should  not  think  any  more  about  it.  These  jugglers' 
tricks  are  curious  and  unaccountable;  but  it  is  no  use  our 
worrying  ourselves  about  them.  Maybe  we  are  all  g«ing 
to  get  up  private  theatricals  some  day,  and  perform  an 
Indian  drama.  I  have  never  taken  any  part  in  tomfool- 
eries of  that  sort  so  far,  but  there  is  no  saying  what  I 
may  come  to." 

"  Are  you  going  to  dine  here,  Doctor?  " 

"  No,  my  dear;  the  Major  asked  me  to  come  in,  but  I 
declined.  I  told  him  frankly  that  I  did  not  like  Forster, 
and  that  the  less  I  saw  of  him  the  better  I  should  be 
pleased." 

The  other  guests  turned  out  to  be  Captain  and  Mrs. 
Doolan  and  Mr.  Congreave,  one  of  the  civilians  at  the 
station.  The  Doolans  arrived  first. 

"  You  have  not  seen  Captain  Forster  yet,  Isobel,"  Mrs. 
Doolan  said,  as  they  sat  down  for  a  chat  together.  "I 
met  him  at  Delhi  soon  after  I  came  out.  He  is  quite  my 
beau-ideal  of  a  soldier  in  appearance,  but  I  don't  think 
he  is  nice,  Isobel.  I  have  heard  all  sorts  of  stories  about 
him." 

"Is  that  meant  as  a  warning  for  me,  Mrs.  Doolan?" 
Isobel  asked,  smiling. 

"  Well,  yes,  I  think  it  is,  if  you  don't  mind  my  giving 
you  one.  There  are  some  men  one  can  flirt  with  as  much 
as  one  likes,  and  there  are  some  men  one  can't;  he  is  one 
of  that  sort.  Privately,  my  dear,  I  don't  mind  telling 
you  that  at  one  time  I  did  flirt  with  him — I  had  been 
accustomed  to  flirt  in  Ireland;  we  all  flirt  there,  and  mean 
nothing  by  it;  but  I  had  to  give  it  up  very  suddenly.  It 
wouldn't  do,  my  dear,  at  all;  his  ideas  of  flirtation 
differed  utterly  from  mine.  I  found  I  was  playing  with 
fire,  and  was  fortunate  in  getting  off  without  singeing 
my  wings,  which  is  more  than  a  good  many  others  would 
have  done." 

"  He  must  be  a  horrid  sort  of  man,"  Isobel  said  indig- 
nantly. 

Mrs.  Doolan  laughed.  "  I  don't  think  you  will  find  him 
so;  certainly  that  is  not  the  general  opinion  of  women. 


RUJUB>  THE  JUGGLER.  145 

However,  you  will  see  him  for  yourself  in  a  very  few 
minutes." 

Isobel  looked  up  with  some  curiosity  when  Captain 
Forster  was  announced,  and  at  once  admitted  to  herself 
that  the  Doctor's  report  as  to  his  personal  appearance 
was  fully  justified.  He  stood  over  six  feet  high,  with  a 
powerful  frame,  and  an  easy  careless  bearing;  his  hair 
was  cut  rather  close,  he  wore  a  long  tawny  mustache,  his 
eyes  were  dark,  his  teeth  very  white  and  perfect.  A  mo- 
mentary look  of  surprise  came  across  his  face  as  his  eyes 
fell  on  Isobel. 

"  I  had  hardly  expected,"  he  said,  as  the  Major  intro- 
duced him  to  her,  "  to  find  no  less  than  three  unmarried 
ladies  at  Deennugghur.  I  had  the  pleasure  of  being  in- 
troduced to  the  Miss  Hunters  this  afternoon.  How  do 
you  do,  Mrs.  Doolan?  I  think  it  is  four  years  since  I 
had  the  pleasure  of  knowing  you  in  Delhi." 

"  I  believe  that  is  the  number,  Captain  Forster." 

"  It  seems  a  very  long  time  to  me,"  he  said. 

"  I  thought  you  would  say  that,"  she  laughed.  "  It 
was  quite  the  proper  thing  to  say,  Captain  Forster;  but  I 
have  no  doubt  it  does  seem  longer  to  you  than  it  does  to 
me  as  you  have  been  home  since." 

"  We  are  all  here,"  the  Major  broke  in.  "  Captain 
Forster,  will  you  take  my  niece  in?  " 

"  I  suppose  you  find  this  very  dull  after  Cawnpore,  Miss 
Hannay?"  Captain  Forster  asked. 

"  Indeed  I  do  not,"  Isobel  said.  "  I  like  it  better  here; 
everything  is  sociable  and  pleasant,  while  at  Cawnpore 
there  was  much  more  formality.  Of  course,  there  were 
lots  of  dinner-parties,  but  I  don't  care  for  large  dinner- 
parties at  all;  it  is  so  hot,  and  they  last  such  a  time.  I 
think  six  is  quite  large  enough.  Then  there  is  a  general 
talk,  and  everyone  can  join  in  just  as  much  as  they  like, 
while  at  a  large  dinner  you  have  to  rely  entirely  upon  one 
person,  and  I  think  it  is  very  hard  work  having  to  talk 
for  an  hour  and  a  half  to  a  stranger  of  whom  you  know 
nothing.  Don't  you  agree  with  me?" 

"  Entirely,  Miss  Hannay;  I  am  a  pretty  good  hand  at 
talking,  but  at  times  I  have  found  it  very  hard  work,  I 
can  assure  you,  especially  when  you  take  down  a  stranger 


J46  RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER 

to  the  station,  so  that  you  have  no  mutual  acquaintance 
to  pull  to  pieces." 

The  dinner  was  bright  and  pleasant,  and  when  the 
evening  was  over  Isobel  said  to  her  uncle,  "  I  think  Cap- 
tain Forster  is  very  amusing,  uncle." 

"  Yes/'  the  Major  agreed,  "  he  is  a  good  talker,  a  regu- 
lar society  man;  he  is  no  great  favorite  of  mine;  I  think 
he  will  be  a  little  too  much  for  us  in  a  small  station  like 
this." 

"How  do  you  mean  too  much,  uncle?" 

The  Major  hesitated. 

"Well,  he  won't  have  much  to  do  with  his  troop  of 
horse,  and  time  will  hang  heavy  on  his  hands." 

"  Well,  there  is  shooting,  uncle." 

"  Yes,  there  is  shooting,  but  I  don't  think  that  is  much 
in  his  line.  Tiffins  and  calls,  and  society  generally  oc- 
cupy most  of  his  time,  I  fancy,  and  I  think  he  is  fonder 
of  billiards  and  cards  than  is  good  for  him  or  others.  Of 
course,  being  here  by  himself,  as  he  is,  we  must  do  our 
best  to  be  civil  to  him,  and  that  sort  of  thing,  but  if  we 
were  at  Cawnpore  he  is  a  man  I  should  not  care  about 
being  intimate  in  the  house." 

"  I  understand,  uncle;  but  certainly  he  is  pleasant." 

"  Oh,  yes,  he  is  very  pleasant,"  the  Major  said  dryly,  in 
a  tone  that  seemed  to  express  that  Forster's  power  of 
making  himself  pleasant  was  by  no  means  a  recommenda- 
tion in  his  eyes. 

But  Captain  Forster  had  apparently  no  idea  whatever 
that  his  society  could  be  anything  but  welcome,  and  called 
the  next  day  after  luncheon. 

"  I  have  been  leaving  my  pasteboard  at  all  the  resi- 
dents," he  said;  "not  a  very  large  circle.  Of  cor'ise,  I 
knew  Mrs.  Eintoul  at  Delhi,  as  well  as  Mrs.  Doolan.  I 
did  not  know  any  of  the  others.  They  seem  pleasant 
people." 

"  They  are  very  pleasant,"  Isobel  said. 

"I  left  one  for  a  man  named  Bathurst.  He  was  out. 
Is  that  the  Bathurst,  Major  Hannay,  who  was  in  a  line 
regiment — I  forget  its  number — and  left  very  suddenly  in 
the  middle  of  the  fighting  in  the  Punjaub?" 

"Yes;  I  believe  Bathurst  was  in  the  army  about  that 


RUJUJ,  THE  JUGGLER.  147 

time,"  the  Major  said;  "  but  I  don't  know  anything*about 
the  circumstances  of  his  leaving." 

Had  Captain  Forster  known  the  Major  better  he  would 
have  been  aware  that  what  he  meant  to  say  was  that  he 
did  not  wish  to  know,  but  he  not  detect  the  inflection  of 
his  voice,  and  went  on — "  They  say  he  showed  the  white 
feather.  If  it  is  the  same  man,  I  was  at  school  with 
him,  and  unless  he  has  improved  since  then,  I  am  sure  I 
have  no  wish  to  renew  his  acquaintance/' 

"  I  like  him  very  much,"  the  Major  said  shortly;  "  he 
is  great  friends  with  Dr.  Wade,  who  has  the  very  highest 
opinion  of  him,  and  I  believe  he  is  generally  considered 
to  be  one  of  the  most  rising  young  officers  of  his  grade." 

"  Oh,  I  have  nothing  to  say  against  him,"  Captain 
Forster  said;  "  but  he  was  a  poor  creature  at  school,  and 
I  do  not  think  that  there  was  any  love  lost  between  us. 
Did  you  know  him  before  you  came  here?  " 

"  I  only  met  him  at  the  last  races  in  Cawnpore,"  the 
Major  said;  "  he  was  stopping  with  the  Doctor." 

*  Quite  a  character,  Wade." 

IsobePs  tongue  was  untied  now. 

"  I  think  he  is  one  of  the  kindest  and  best  gentlemen 
I  ever  met,"  the  girl  said  hotly;  "he  took  care  of  me 
coming  out  here,  and  no  one  could  have  been  kinder 
than  he  was." 

"  I  have  no  doubt  he  is  all  that,"  Captain  Forster  said 
gently;  "  still  he  is  character,  Miss  Hannay,  taking  the 
term  character  to  mean  a  person  who  differs  widely  from 
other  people.  I  believe  he  is  very  skillful  in  his  profes- 
sion, but  I  take  it  he  is  a  sort  of  Abernethy,  and  tells 
the  most  startling  truths  to  his  patients." 

"That  I  can  quite  imagine,"  Isobel  said;  "the  Doctor 
hates  humbug  of  all  sorts,  and  I  don't  think  I  should 
like  to  call  him  in  myself  for  an  imaginary  ailment." 

"  I  rather  put  my  foot  in  it  there,"  Captain  Forster 
said  to  himself,  as  he  sauntered  back  to  his  tent.  "  The 
Major  didn't  like  my  saying  anything  against  Bathurst, 
and  the  girl  did  not  like  my  remark  about  the  Doctor. 
1  wonder  whether  she  objected  also  to  what  I  said  about 
that  fellow  Bathurst — a  sneaking  little  hound  he  was, 
and  there  is  no  doubt  about  his  showing  the  white  feather 


148  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

in  the  Punjaub.  However,  I  don't  think  that  young  lady 
is  of  the  sort  to  care  about  a  coward,  and  if  she  asks 
any  questions,  as  I  dare  say  she  will,  after  what  I  have 
said,  she  will  find  that  the  story  is  a  true  one.  What  a 
pretty  little  thing  she  is!  I  did  not  see  a  prttier  face  all 
the  time  I  was  at  home.  What  with  her  and  Mrs.  Doolan, 
time  is  not  likely  to  hang  so  heavily  here  as  I  had 
expected." 

The  Major,  afraid  that  Isobel  might  ask  him  some 
questions  about  this  story  of  Bathurst  leaving  the  army, 
went  off  hastily  as  soon  as  Captain  Forster  had  left. 
Isobel  sat  impatiently  tapping  the  floor  with  her  foot, 
awaiting  the  Doctor,  who  usually  came  for  half  an  hour's 
chat  in  the  afternoon. 

"  Well,  child,  how  did  your  dinner  go  off  yesterday, 
and  what  did  you  think  of  your  new  visitor?  I  saw  him 
come  away  from  here  half  an  hour  ago.  I  suppose  he  has 
been  calling." 

"  I  don't  like  him  at  all/'  Isobel  said  decidedly. 

"  No?  Well,  then,  you  are  an  exception  to  the  general 
rule." 

"I  thought  him  pleasant  enough  last  night/'  Isobel 
said  frankly.  "He  has  a  deferential  sort  of  way  about 
him  when  he  speaks  to  one  that  one  can  hardly  help 
liking.  But  he  made  me  angry  to-day.  In  the  first  place, 
Doctor,  he  said  you  were  a  character." 

The  Doctor  chuckled.  "Well,  that  is  true  enough, 
my  dear.  There  was  no  harm  in  that." 

"And  then  he  said" — and  she  broke  off — "he  said 
what  I  feel  sure  cannot  be  true.  He  said  that  Mr. 
Bathurst  left  the  army  because  he  showed  the  white 
feather.  It  is  not  true,  is  it?  I  am  sure  it  can't  be 
true." 

The  Doctor  did  not  reply  immediately. 

"It  is  an  old  story,"  he  said  presently,  "and  ought 
not  to  have  been  brought  up  again.  I  don't  suppose 
Forster  or  anyone  else  knows  the  rights  of  the  case. 
When  a  man  leaves  his  regiment  and  retires  when  it  is 
upon  active  service,  there  are  sure  to  be  spiteful  stories 
getting  about,  often  without  the  slightest  foundation. 
But  even  if  it  had  been  true,  it  would  hardly  be  to 


RUJUB,  THE  JUQGLER.  149 

Bathnrst's  disadvantage  now  he  is  no  longer  in  the  army, 
and  courage  is  not  a  vital  necessity  on  the  part  of  a 
civilian." 

"  You  can't  mean  that,  Doctor;  surely  every  man 
ought  to  be  brave.  Could  anyone  possibly  respect  a  man 
who  is  a  coward?  I  don't  believe  it,  Doctor,  for  a  mo- 
ment." 

"  Courage,  my  dear,  is  not  a  universal  endowment — it 
is  a  physical  as  much  as  a  moral  virtue.  Some  people 
are  physically  brave  and  morally  cowards;  others  are  ex- 
actly the  reverse.  Some  people  are  constitutionally 
cowards  all  round,  while  in  others  cowardice  shows  itself 
only  partially.  I  have  known  a  man  who  is  as  brave  as  a 
lion  in  battle,  but  is  terrified  by  a  rat.  I  have  known  a 
man  brave  in  other  respects  lose  his  nerve  altogether  in 
a  thunderstorm.  In  neither  of  these  cases  was  it  the 
man's  own  fault;  it  was  constitutional,  and  by  no  effort 
could  he  conquer  it.  I  consider  Bathurst  to  be  an  ex- 
ceptionally noble  character.  I  am  sure  that  he  is  capable 
of  acts  of  great  bravery  in  some  directions,  but  it  is  possi- 
ble that  he  is,  like  the  man  I  have  spoken  of,  constitu- 
tionally weak  in  others." 

"  But  the  great  thing  is  to  be  brave  in  battle,  Doctor! 
You  would  not  call  a  man  a  coward  simply  because  he  was 
afraid  of  a  rat,  but  you  would  call  a  man  a  coward  who 
was  afraid  in  battle.  To  be  a  coward  there  seems  to  me 
to  be  a  coward  all  round.  I  have  always  thought  the  one 
virtue  in  man  I  really  envied  was  bravery,  and  that  a 
coward  was  the  most  despicable  creature  living.  It  might 
not  be  his  actual  fault,  but  one  can't  help  that.  It  is  not 
anyone's  fault  if  he  is  fearfully  ugly  or  born  an  idiot,  for 
example.  But  cowardice  seems  somehow  different.  Not 
to  be  brave  when  he  is  strong  seems  to  put  a  man  below 
the  level  of  a  woman.  I  feel  sure,  Doctor,  there  must  be 
some  mistake,  and  that  this  story  cannot  be  true.  I 
have  seen  a  good  deal  of  Mr.  Bathurst  since  we  have  been 
here,  and  you  always  spoken  so  well  of  him,  he  is  the  last 
man  I  should  have  thought  would  be — would  be  like 
that" 

"  I  know  the  circumstances  of  the  case,  child.  You  can 
trust  me  when  I  say  that  there  is  nothing  in  Bathurst's 


150  RUJVB,   THE  JUGGLER. 

conduct  that  diminishes  my  respect  for  him  in  the  slight- 
est degree,  and  that  in  some  respects  he  is  as  brave  a 
man  as  any  I  know/' 

"  Yes,  Doctor,  all  that  may  be;  but  you  do  not  answer 
my  question.  Did  Mr.  Bathurst  leave  the  army  because 
he  snowed  cowardice?  If  he  did,  and  you  know  it,  why 
did  you  invite  him  here?  why  did  you  always  praise  him? 
why  did  you  not  say,  '  In  other  respects  this  man  ma)r 
be  good  and  estimable,  but  he  is  that  most  despicable 
thing,  a  coward  '  ?  " 

There  was  such  a  passion  of  pain  in  her  voice  and  face 
that  the  Doctor  only  said  quietly,  "  I  did  not  know  it, 
my  dear,  or  I  should  have  told  you  at  first  that  in  this 
one  point  he  was  wanting.  It  is,  I  consider,  the  duty  of 
those  who  know  things  to  speak  out.  But  he  is  certainly 
not  what  you  say." 

Isobel  tossed  her  head  impatiently.  "We  need  not 
discuss  it,  Doctor.  It  is  nothing  to  me  whether  Mr. 
Bathurst  is  brave  or  not,  only  it  is  not  quite  pleasant  to 
learn  that  you  have  been  getting  on  friendly  terms  with 
a  man  who " 

"  Don't  say  any  more,"  the  Doctor  broke  in.  "  You 
might  at  least  remember  he  is  a  friend  of  mine.  There 
is  no  occasion  for  us  to  quarrel,  my  dear,  and  to  prevent 
the  possibility  of  such  a  thing  I  will  be  off  at  once." 

After  he  had  left  Isobel  sat  down  to  think  over  what 
had  been  said.  He  had  not  directly  answered  her  ques- 
tions, but  he  had  not  denied  that  the  rumor  that  Bathurst 
had  retired  from  the  army  because  he  was  wanting  in 
courage  was  well  founded.  Everything  he  had  said,  in 
fact,  was  an  excuse  rather  than  a  denial.  The  Doctor 
was  as  stanch  a  friend  as  he  was  bitter  an  opponent. 
Could  he  have  denied  it  he  would  have  done  so  strongly 
and  indignantly. 

It  was  clear  that,  much  as  he  liked  Bathurst,  he  be- 
lieved him  wanting  in  physical  courage.  He  had  said, 
indeed,  that  he  believed  he  was  brave  in  some  respects, 
and  had  asserted  that  he  knew  of  one  exceptional  nc"  of 
courage  that  he  had  performed;  but  what  was  that  if  a 
man  had  had  to  leave  the  army  because  he  was  a  coward? 
.To  Isobel  it  seemed  that  of  all  things  it  was  most  dread- 


RUJUB,  TEE  JUGGLER.  151 

ful  that  a  man  should  be  wanting  in  courage.  Tales  of 
daring  and  bravery  had  always  been  her  special  delight, 
and,  being  full  of  life  and  spirit  herself,  it  had  not  seemed 
even  possible  to  her  that  a  gentleman  could  be  a  coward, 
and  that  Bathurst  could  be  so  was  to  her  well-nigh  in- 
credible. 

It  might,  as  the  .Doctor  had  urged,  be  in  no  way  his 
fault,  but  this  did  not  affect  the  fact.  He  might  be  more 
to  be  pitied  than  to  be  blamed;  but  pity  of  that  kind,  so 
far  from  being  akin  to  love,  was  destructive  of  it. 

Unconsciously  she  had  raised  Bathurst  on  a  lofty  pin- 
nacle. The  Doctor  had  spoken  very  highly  of  him.  She 
had  admired  the  energy  with  which,  instead  of  caring, 
as  others  did,  for  pleasure,  he  devoted  himself  to  his 
work.  Older  men  than  himself  listened  to  his  opinions. 
His  quiet  and  somewhat  restrained  manner  was  in  con- 
trast to  the  careless  fun  and  gc*>d  humor  of  most  of  those 
with  whom  she  came  in  contact.  It  had  seemed  to  her 
that  he  was  a  strong  man,  one  who  could  be  relied  upon 
implicitly  at  all  times,  and  she  had  come  in  the  few 
weeks  she  had  been  at  Deennugghur  to  rely  upon  his 
opinion,  and  to  look  forward  to  his  visits,  and  even  to 
acknowledge  to  herself  that  he  approached  her  ideal  of 
what  a  man  should  be  more  than  anyone  else  she  had 
met. 

And  now  this  was  all  shattered  at  a  blow.  He  was 
wanting  in  man's  first  attribute.  He  had  left  the  army, 
if  not  in  disgrace,  at  least  under  a  cloud,  and  even  his 
warm  friend,  the  Doctor,  could  not  deny  that  the  accusa- 
tion of  cowardice  was  well  founded.  The  pain  of  the  dis- 
covery opened  her  eyes  to  the  fact  which  she  had  not 
before,  even  remotely,  admitted  to  herself,  that  she  was 
beginning  to  love  him,  and  the  discovery  was  a  bitter 
one. 

"  I  may  thank  Captain  Forster  for  that,  at  least,"  she 
said  to  herself,  as  she  angrily  wiped  a  tear  from  her 
cheek;  "  he  has  opened  my  eyes  in  time.  What  should  I 
have  felt  if  I  had  found  too  late  that  I  had  come  to  love 
a  man  who  was  a  coward — who  had  left  the  army  because 
he  was  afraid?  I  should  have  despised  myself  as  much 
as  I  should  despise  him.  Well,  that  is  my  first  lesson.  I 


152  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

shall  not  trust  in  appearances  again.  Why,  I  would 
rather  marry  a  man  like  Captain  Forster,  even  if  every- 
thing they  say  about  him  is  true,  than  a  man  who  is  a 
coward.  At  least  he  is  brave,  and  has  shown  himself  so." 

The  Doctor  had  gone  away  in  a  state  of  extreme  irri- 
tation. 

"  Confound  the  meddling  scoundrel! "  he  said  to  him- 
self, as  he  surprised  the  horse  with  a  sharp  cut  of  the 
whip.  "  Just  when  things  were  going  on  as  I  wished.  I 
had  quite  set  my  mind  on  it,  and  though  I  am  sure 
Bathurst  would  never  have  spoken  to  her  till  he  had  told 
her  himself  about  that  unfortunate  failing  of  his,  it 
would  have  been  altogether  different  coming  from  his 
own  lips  just  as  he  told  it  to  me.  Of  course,  my  lips 
were  sealed  and  I  could  not  put  the  case  in  the  right 
light.  I  would  give  three  months'  pay  for  the  satisfac- 
tion of  horsewhipping  that  fellow  Forster.  Still,  I  can't 
say  he  did  it  maliciously,  for  he  could  not  have  known 
Bathurst  was  intimate  there,  or  that  there  was  anything 
between  them.  The  question  is,  am  I  to  tell  Bathurst 
that  she  has  heard  about  it?  I  suppose  I  had  better. 
Ah,  here  is  the  Major,"  and  he  drew  up  his  horse.  "  Any- 
thing new,  Major?  You  look  put  out." 

"  Yes,  there  is  very  bad  news,  Doctor.  A  Sowar  has 
just  brought  a  letter  to  me  from  the  Colonel  saying  that 
the  General  has  got  a  telegram  that  the  19th  Native 
Infantry  at  Berhampore  have  refused  to  use  the 
cartridges  served  out  to  them,  and  that  yesterday  a 
Sepoy  of  the  34th  at  Barrackpore  raised  seditious  cries 
in  front  of  the  lines,  and  when  Baugh,  the  adjutant,  and 
the  sergeant-major  attempted  to  seize  him  he  wounded 
them  both,  while  the  regiment  stood  by  and  refused  to 
aid  them.  The  19th  are  to  be  disbanded,  and  no  doubt 
the  34th  will  be,  too." 

"  That  is  bad  news  indeed,  Major,  and  looks  as  if  this 
talk  about  general  disaffection  were  true.  Had  there 
been  trouble  but  at  one  station  it  might  have  been  the 
effect  of  some  local  grievance,  but  happening  at  two 
places,  it  looks  as  if  it  were  part  of  a  general  plot.  Well, 
we  must  hope  it  will  go  no  farther." 

"  It  is  very  bad,"  said  the  Major,  "  but  at  any  rate  we 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER.  158 

may  hope  we  shall  have  no  troubles  here;  the  regiment  has 
always  behaved  well,  and  I  am  sure  they  have  no  reason 
to  complain  of  their  treatment.  If  the  Colonel  has  a 
fault,  it  is  that  of  over-leniency  with  the  men." 

"  That  is  so,"  the  Doctor  agreed;  "  but  the  fact  is, 
Major,  we  know  really  very  little  about  the  Hindoo  mind. 
We  can  say  with  some  sort  of  certainty  what  Europeans 
will  do  under  given  circumstances,  but  though  I  know 
the  natives,  I  think,  pretty  nearly  as  well  as  most  men,  I 
feel  that  I  really  know  nothing  about  them.  They  ap- 
pear mild  and  submissive,  and  have  certainly  proved 
faithful  on  a  hundred  battlefields,  but  we  don't  know 
whether  that  is  their  real  character.  Their  own  history, 
before  we  stepped  in  and  altered  its  current,  shows  them 
as  faithless,  bloodthirsty  and  cruel;  whether  they  have 
changed  their  nature  under  our  rule,  or  simply  disguised 
it,  Heaven  only  knows." 

"  At  any  rate,"  the  Major  said,  "  they  have  always 
shown  themselves  attached  to  their  English  officers. 
There  are  numberless  instances  where  they  have  dis- 
played the  utmost  devotion  for  them,  and  although  some 
scheming  intriguers  may  have  sown  the  seeds  of  discon- 
tent among  them,  and  these  lies  about  the  cartridges  may 
have  excited  their  religious  prejudices,  and  may  even  lead 
them  to  mutiny,  I  cannot  believe  for  an  instant  that  the 
Sepoys  will  lift  their  hands  against  their  officers." 

"I  hope  not,"  the  Doctor  said  gravely.  "A  tiger's 
cub,  when  tamed,  is  one  of  the  prettiest  of  playthings, 
but  when  it  once  tastes  blood  it  is  as  savage  a  beast  as 
its  mother  was  before  it.  Of  course,  I  hope  for  the  best, 
but  if  the  Sepoys  once  break  loose  I  would  not  answer 
for  anything  they  might  do.  They  have  been  pretty  well 
spoilt,  Major,  till  they  have  come  to  believe  that  it  is 
they  who  conquered  India  and  not  we." 


CHAPTER  XI. 

THAT  evening,  after  dining  alone,  the  Doctor  went  in 
to  Bathurst's.  The  latter  had  already  heard  the  news, 
and  thev  talked  it  over  for  some  time.  Then  the  Doctor 


154  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

said,  "Have  you  seen  Forster,  Bathurst,  since  he  ar- 
rived?" 

"  No,  I  was  out  when  he  left  his  card;  I  was  at  school 
with  him.  I  heard  when  I  was  in  England  that  he  was 
out  here  in  the  native  cavalry,  but  I  have  never  run 
across  him  before,  and  I  own  I  had  no  wish  to  do  so.  He 
was  about  two  years  older  than  I  was,  and  was  considered 
the  cock  of  the  school.  He  was  one  of  my  chief  tor- 
mentors. I  don't  know  that  he  was  a  bully  generally — 
fellows  who  are  really  plucky  seldom  are;  but  he  disliked 
me  heartily,  and  I  hated  him. 

"  I  had  the  habit  of  telling  the  truth  when  questioned, 
and  he  narrowly  escaped  expulsion  owing  to  my  re- 
fusing to  tell  a  lie  about  his  being  quietly  in  bed  when, 
in  fact,  he  and  two  or  three  other  fellows  had  been  out 
at  a  public-house.  He  never  forgave  me  for  it,  for  he 
himself  would  have  told  a  lie  without  hesitation  to  screen 
himself,  or,  to  do  him  justice,  to  screen  anyone  else;  and 
the  mere  fact  that  I  myself  had  been  involved  in  the  mat- 
ter, having  been  sent  out  by  one  of  the  bigger  fellows, 
and,  therefore,  having  got  myself  a  flogging  by  my  admis- 
sion, was  no  mitigation  in  his  eyes  of  my  offense  of  what 
he  called  sneaking. 

"  So  you  may  imagine  I  have  no  particular  desire  to 
meet  him  again.  Unless  he  has  greatly  changed,  he 
would  do  me  a  bad  turn  if  he  had  the  chance." 

"I  don't  think  he  has  greatly  changed,"  the  Doctor 
said.  "  That  was  really  what  I  came  in  here  for  this 
evening  rather  than  to  talk  about  this  Sepoy'  business.  I 
am  sorry  to  say,  Bathurst,  that  when  he  was  in  at  the 
Major's  to-day  your  name  happened  to  be  mentioned, 
and  he  said  at  once,  '  Is  that  the  Bathurst  who  they  say 
showed  the  white  feather  at  Chillianwalla  and  left  the 
army  in  consequence?  ' ' 

Bathurst's  face  grew  pale  and  his  fingers  closed.  He 
remained  silent  a  minute,  and  then  said,  "  It  does  not 
matter;  she  would  have  been  sure  to  hear  it  sooner  or 
later,  and  I  should  have  told  her  myself  if  he  had  not 
done  so;  besides,  if,  as  I  am  afraid,  this  Berhampore 
business  is  the  beginning  of  trouble,  and  of  such  trouble 
as  we  have  never  had  since  we  set  foot  in  India,  it  is 


RUJUB.   WE  JUGGLER.  155 

likely  that  everyone  will  know  what  she  knows  now. 
Has  she  spoken  to  you  about  it?  I  suppose  she  has,  or 
you  would  not  have  known  that  he  mentioned  it." 

"  Yes,  she  was  most  indignant  about  it,  and  did  not 
believe  it." 

"  And  what  did  you  say,  Doctor? "  he  asked  indif- 
ferently. 

"  Well,  I  was  sorry  I  could  not  tell  her  exactly  what 
you  told  me.  It  would  have  been  better  if  I  could  have 
done  so.  I  simply  said  there  were  many  sorts  of  courage, 
and  that  I  was  sure  that  you  possessed  many  sorts  in  a 
very  high  degree,  but  I  could  not,  of  course,  deny,  al- 
though I  did  not  admit,  the  truth  of  the  report  he  had 
mentioned." 

"  I  don't  think  it  makes  much  difference  one  way  or 
the  other,"  Bathurst  said  wearily.  "I  have  known  all 
along  that  Isobel  Hannay  would  not  marry  a  coward, 
only  I  have  gone  on  living  in  a  fool's  paradise.  However, 
it  is  over  now — the  sooner  it  is  all  over  the  better." 

"  My  dear  fellow,"  the  Doctor  said  earnestly,  "  don't 
take  this  thing  too  much  to  heart.  I  don't  wish  to  try 
and  persuade  you  that  it  is  not  a  grave  misfortune,  but 
even  suppose  this  trouble  takes  the  very  worst  form  pos- 
sible, I  do  not  think  you  will  come  so  very  badly  out  of  it 
as  you  anticipate.  Even  assuming  that  you  are  unable 
to  do  your  part  in  absolute  fighting,  there  may  be  other 
opportunities,  and  most  likely  will,  in  which  you  may  be 
able  to  show  that  although  unable  to  control  your  nerves 
in  the  din  of  battle,  you  possess  in  other  respects  cool- 
ness and  courage.  That  feat  of  yours  of  attacking  the 
tiger  with  the  dog-whip  shows  conclusively  that  under 
many  circumstances  you  are  capable  of  most  daring 
deeds." 

Bathurst  sat  looking  down  for  some  minutes.  "  God 
grant  that  it  may  be  so,"  he  said  at  last;  "  but  it  is  no 
use  talking  about  it  any  more,  Doctor.  I  suppose  Major 
Hannay  will  keep  a  sharp  lookout  o^er  the  men?  " 

"Yes;  there  was  a  meeting  of  the  officers  this  after- 
noon. It  was  agreed  to  make  no  outward  change,  and  to 
give  the  troops  no  cause  whatever  to  believe  that  they 
are  suspected.  They  all  feel  confident  of  the  good-will 


§5tf  KVJUB,  TEE  JUGGLER. 

of  the  men;  at  the  same  time  they  will  watch  them 
closely,  and  if  the  news  comes  of  further  trouble,  they 
will  prepare  the  court-house  as  a  place  of  refuge." 

"  That  is  a  very  good  plan;  but  of  course  everything 
depends  upon  whether,  if  the  troops  do  rise  in  mutiny, 
the  people  of  Oude  should  join  them.  They  are  a  fight- 
ing race,  and  if  they  should  throw  in  their  lot  against 
us  the  position  would  be  a  desperate  one." 

"  Well,  there  is  no  doubt,"  the  Doctor  said,  "  that  the 
Rajah  of  Bithoor  would  be  with  us;  that  will  make 
Cawnpore  safe,  and  will  largely  influence  all  the  great 
Zemindars,  though  there  is  no  doubt  that  a  good  many 
of  them  have  been  sulky  ever  since  the  disarmament 
order  was  issued.  I  believe  there  are  few  of  them  who 
have  not  got  cannon  hidden  away  or  buried,  and  as  for 
the  people,  the  number  of  arms  given  up  was  as  nothing 
to  what  we  know  they  possessed.  In  other  parts  of  India 
I  believe  the  bulk  of  the  people  will  be  with  us;  but  here 
in  Oude,  our  last  annexation,  I  fear  that  they  will  side 
against  us,  unless  all  the  great  landowners  range  them- 
selves on  our  side." 

"  As  far  as  I  can  see,"  Bathurst  said,  "  the  people  are 
contented  with  the  change.  I  don't  say  what  I  may  call 
the  professional  fighting  class,  the  crowd  of  retainers 
kept  by  the  great  landowners,  who  were  constantly  fight- 
ing against  each  other.  Annexation  has  put  a  stop  to 
ail  that,  and  the  towns  are  crowded  with  these  fighting 
men,  who  hate  us  bitterly;  but  the  peasants,  the  tillers 
of  the  soil,  have  benefited  greatly.  They  are  no  longer 
exposed  to  raids  by  their  powerful  neighbors,  and  can  cul- 
tivate their  fields  in  peace  and  quiet.  Unfortunately 
their  friendship,  such  as  it  is,  will  not  weigh  in  the 
slightest  degree  in  the  event  of  a  struggle.  At  any  rate, 
I  am  sure  they  are  not  behind  the  scenes,  and  know  noth- 
ing whatever  of  any  coming  trouble.  Going  as  I  do 
among  them,  and  talking  to  them  as  one  of  themselves, 
I  should  have  noticed  it  had  there  been  any  change  in 
them;  and  of  late  naturally  I  have  paid  special  notice  to 
their  manner.  Well,  if  it  is  to  come  I  hope  it  will  come 
soon,  for  anything  is  better  than  suspense." 

Two  days  later  Major  Hannay  read  out  to  the  men 


THE  JUGGLER.  157 

on  parade  an  official  document,  assuring  them  that  there 
was  no  truth  whatever  in  the  statements  that  had  been 
made  that  the  cartridges  served  out  to  them  had  been 
greased  with  pigs'  fat.  They  were  precisely  the  same  as 
those  that  they  had  used  for  years,  and  the  men  were 
warned  against  listening  to  seditious  persons  who  might 
try  to  poisofl  their  minds  and  shake  their  loyalty  to  the 
Government.  He  then  told  them  that  he  was  sorry  to 
say  that  at  one  or  two  stations  the  men  had  been  foolish 
enough  to  listen  to  disloyal  counsels,  and  that  in  conse- 
quence the  regiments  had  been  disbanded  and  the  men 
had  forfeited  all  the  advantages  in  the  way  of  pay  and 
pension  they  had  earned  by  many  years  of  good  conduct. 
He  said  that  he  had  no  fear  whatever  of  any  such  trouble 
arising  with  them,  as  they  knew  that  they  had  been  well 
treated,  that  any  legitimate  complaint  they  might  make 
had  always  been  attended  to,  and  that  their  officers  had 
their  welfare  thoroughly  at  heart. 

When  he  had  finished,  the  senior  native  officer  stepped 
forward,  and  in  the  name  of  the  detachment  assured  the 
Major  that  the  men  were  perfectly  contented,  and  would 
in  all  cases  follow  their  officers,  even  if  they  ordered 
them  to  march  against  their  countrymen.  At  the  con- 
clusion of  his  speech  he  called  upon  the  troops  to  give 
three  cheers  for  the  Major  and  officers,  and  this  was  re- 
sponded to  with  a  show  of  great  enthusiasm. 

This  demonstration  was  deemed  very  satisfactory,  and 
the  uneasiness  among  the  residents  abated  considerably, 
while  the  Major  and  his  officers  felt  convinced  that,  what- 
ever happened  at  other  stations,  there  would  at  least  be 
no  trouble  at  Deennugghur. 

"  Well,  even  you  are  satisfied,  Doctor,  I  suppose?  "  the 
Major  said,  as  a  party  of  them  who  had  been  dining  with 
Dr.  Wade  were  smoking  in  the  veranda. 

"  I  was  hopeful  befof e,  Major,  and  I  am  hopeful  now; 
but  I  can't  say  that  to-day's  parade  has  influenced  me  in 
the  slightest.  Whatever  virtues  the  Hindoo  may  have, 
he  has  certainly  that  of  knowing  how  to  wait.  I  believe, 
from  what  took  place,  that  they  have  no  intention  of 
breaking  out  at  present;  whether  they  are  waiting  to  see 
what  is  done  at  other  stations,  or  until  they  receive  a 


158  RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER. 

signal,  is  more  than  I  can  say;  but  their  assurances  do 
not  weigh  with  me  to  the  slightest  extent.  Their  history 
is  full  of  cases  of  perfidious  massacre.  I  should  say, 
'  Trust  them  as  long  as  you  can,  but  don't  relax  your 
watch.' '; 

"  You  are  a  confirmed  croaker,"  Captain  Eintoul  said. 

"I  do  not  think  so,  Kintoul.  I  know  the  men  I  am 
talking  about,  and  I  know  the  Hindoos  generally.  They 
are  mere  children,  and  can  be  molded  like  clay.  As  long 
as  we  had  the  molding,  all  went  well;  but  if  they  fall 
into  the  hands  of  designing  men  they  can  be  led  in 
another  direction  just  as  easily  as  we  have  led  them  in 
ours.  I  own  that  I  don't  see  who  can  be  sufficiently  in- 
terested in  the  matter  to  conceive  and  carry  out  a  great 
conspiracy  of  this  kind.  The  King  of  Oude  is  a  captive 
in  our  hands,  the  King  of  Delhi  is  too  old  to  play  such  a 
part.  Scindia  and  Holkar  may  possibly  long  for  the 
powers  their  fathers  possessed,  but  they  are  not  likely  to 
act  together,  and  may  be  regarded  as  rivals  rather  than 
friends,  and  yet  if  it  is  not  one  of  these  who  has  been 
brewing  this  storm  I  own  I  don't  see  who  can  be  at  the 
bottom  of  it,  unless  it  has  really  originated  from  some 
ambitious  spirits  among  the  Sepoys,  who  look  in  the 
event  of  success  to  being  masters  of  the  destinies  of 
India.  It  is  a  pity  we  did  not  get  a  few  more  views  from 
that  juggler;  we  might  have  known  a  little  more  of  it 
then." 

"  Don't  talk  about  him,  Doctor,"  Wilson  said;  "  it 
gives  me  the  cold  shivers  to  think  of  that  fellow  and 
what  he  did;  I  have  hardly  slept  since  then.  It  was  the 
most  creepy  thing  I  ever  saw.  Eichards  and  I  have 
talked  it  over  every  evening  we  have  been  alone  together, 
and  we  can't  make  head  or  tail  of  the  affair.  Eichards 
thinks  it  wasn't  the  girl  at  all  who  went  up  on  that  pole, 
but  a  sort  of  balloon  in  her  shape;,  But  then,  as  I  say, 
there  was  the  girl  standing  among  us  before  she  took  her 
place  on  the  pole.  We  saw  her  sit  down  and  settle  herself 
on  the  cushion  so  that  she  was  balanced  right.  So  it 
could  not  have  been  a  balloon  then,  and  if  it  were  a 
balloon  afterwards,  when  did  she  change?  At  any  rate 
the  light  below  was  sufficient  to  see  well  until  she  \*as 


KUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER. 

forty  or  fifty  feet  up,  and  after  that  she  shone  out,  and 
we  never  lost  sight  of  her  until  she  was  ever  so  high.  I 
can  understand  the  pictures,  because  there  might  have 
been  a  magic  lantern  somewhere,  but  that  girl  trick,  and 
the  basket  trick,  and  that  great  snake  are  altogether 
beyond  me." 

"  So  I  should  imagine,  Wilson,"  the  Doctor  said  dryly; 
"  and  if  I  were  you  I  would  not  bother  my  head  about  it. 
Nobody  has  succeeded  in  finding  out  any  of  them  yet, 
and  all  the  wondering  in  the  world  is  not  likely  to  get 
you  any  nearer  to  it." 

"  That  is  what  I  feel,  Doctor,  but  it  is  very  riling  to 
see  things  that  you  can't  account  for  anyhow.  I  wish  he 
had  sent  up  Richards  on  the  pole  instead  of  the  girl.  I 
would  not  have  minded  going  up  myself  if  he  had  asked 
me,  though  I  expect  I  should  have  jumped  off  before  it 
got  up  very  far,  even  at  the  risk  of  breaking  my  neck." 

"  I  should  not  mind  risking  that,"  the  Doctor  said, 
"  though  I  doubt  whether  I  should  have  known  any  more 
about  it  when  I  came  down;  but  these  jugglers  always 
bring  a  girl  or  a  boy  with  them  instead  of  calling  some- 
bodv  out  from  the  audience,  as  they  do  at  home.  Well, 
if  things  are  quiet  we  will  organize  another  hunt,  Wilson. 
I  have  heard  of  a  tiger  fifteen  miles  away  from  where  we 
killed  our  last,  and  you  and  Eichards  shall  go  with  me 
if  you  like." 

"  I  should  like  it  of  all  things,  Doctor,  provided  it 
comes  off  by  day.  I  don't  think  I  care  about  sitting 
through  another  night  on  a  tree,  and  then  not  getting 
anything  like  a  fair  shot  at  the  beast  after  all." 

"  We  will  go  by  day,"  the  Doctor  said.  "  Bathurst  has 
promised  to  get  some  elephants  from  one  of  the  Zemin- 
dars; we  will  have  a  regular  party  this  time.  I  have  half 
promised  Miss  Hannay  she  shall  have  a  seat  in  a  howdah 
with  me  if  the  Major  will  give  her  leave,  and  in  that  case 
we  will  send  out  tents  and  make  a  regular  party  of  it. 
What  do  you  say,  Major?  " 

"I  am  perfectly  willing,  Doctor,  and  have  certainly 
no  objection  to  trusting  Isobel  to  your  care.  I  know  you 
are  not  likely  to  miss." 

"No,  I  am  not  likely  to  miss,  certainly;  and  besides, 


160  RVJUB*  THE  JUGGLER. 

there  will  be  Wilson  and  Eichards  to  give  him  the  coup 
de  grace  if  I  don't  finish  him." 

There  was  a  general  laugh,  for  the  two  subalterns  had 
been  chaffed  a  good  deal  at  both  missing  the  tiger  on  the 
previous  occasion. 

"Well,  when  shall  it  be,  Major?" 

"  Not  just  at  present,  at  any  rate,"  the  Major  saicL 
"  We  must  see  how  things  are  going  on.  I  certainly 
should  not  think  of  going  outside  the  station  now,  nor 
could  I  give  leave  to  any  officer  to  do  so;  but  if  things 
settle  down,  and  we  hear  no  more  of  this  cartridge  bus- 
iness for  the  next  ten  days  or  a  fortnight,  we  will  see 
about  it." 

But  although  no  news  of  any  outbreak  similar  to  that 
at  Barrackpore  was  received  for  some  days,  the  report 
that  came  showed  a  widespread  restlessness.  At  various 
stations,  all  over  India,  fires,  believed  to  be  the  work  of 
incendiaries,  took  place,  and  there  was  little  abatement 
of  the  uneasiness.  It  become  known,  too,  that  a  native 
officer  had  before  the  rising  of  Berhampore  given  warn- 
ing of  the  mutiny,  and  had  stated  that  there  was  a  wide- 
spread plot  throughout  the  native  regiments  to  rise,  kill 
their  officers,  and  then  march  to  Delhi,  where  they  were 
all  to  gather. 

The  story  was  generally  disbelieved,  although  the 
actual  rising  had  shown  that,  to  some  extent,  the  report 
was  well  founded;  still  men  could  not  bring  themselves 
to  believe  that  the  troops  among  whom  they  had  lived 
so  long,  and  who  had  fought  so  well  for  us,  could  medi- 
tate such  gross  treachery,  without  having,  as  far  as  could 
be  seen,  any  real  cause  for  complaint. 

The  conduct  of  the  troops  at  Deennugghur  was  excel- 
lent, and  the  Jolonel  wrote  that  at  Cawnpore  there  vrere 
no  signs  whatever  of  disaffection,  and  that  the  Eajah  of 
Bithoor  had  offered  to  come  down  at  the  head  of  his  own 
troops  should  there  be  any  symptoms  of  mutiny  among 
the  Sepoys.  Altogether  things  looked  better,  and  a  feel- 
ing of  confidence  that  there  would  be  no  serious  trouble 
spread  through  the  station. 

The  weather  had  set  in  very  hot,  and  there  was  no 
stirring  out  now  for  the  ladies  between  eleven  o'clock  and 


RVJVB,   THE  JVGQLER.  161 

five  or  six  in  the  afternoon.  Isobel,  however,  generally 
went  in  for  a  chat,  the  first  thing  after  early  breakfast, 
with  Mrs.  Doolan,  whose  children  were  fractious  with, 
prickly  heat. 

"  I  only  wish  we  had  some  big,  high  mountain,  my 
dear,  somewhere  within  reach,  where  we  could  establish 
the  children  through  the  summer  and  run  away  ourselves 
occasionally  to  look  after  them.  We  are  very  badly  off 
here  in  Oude  for  that.  You  are  looking  very  pale  your- 
self the  last  few  days." 

"  I  suppose  I  feel  it  a  little,"  Isobel  said,  "  and  ttf. 
course  this  anxiety  everyone  has  been  feeling  worries 
one.  Everyone  seems  to  agree  that  there  is  no  Tear  ol 
trouble  with  the  Sepoys  here;  still,  as  -nothing  else  it 
talked  about,  one  cannot  help  feeling  nervous  about  it 
However,  as  things  seem  settling  down  now,  I  hope  wt 
shall  soon  get  something  else  to  talk  about." 

"  I  have  not  seen  Mr.  Bathurst  lately,"  Mrs.  Doolan 
gaid  presently. 

"Nor  have  we,"  Isobel  said  quietly;  "it  is  quite  ten 
days  since  we  saw  him  last." 

"  I  suppose  he  is  falling  back  into  his  hermit  ways,** 
Mrs.  Doolan  said  carelessly,  shooting  a  keen  glance  at 
Isobel,  who  was  leaning  over  one  of  the  children. 

"  He  quite  emerged  from  his  shell  for  a  bit.  Mrs. 
Hunter  was  saying  she  never  saw  such  a  change  in  a  mail, 
but  I  suppose  he  has  got  tired  of  it.  Captain  Forster 
arrived  just  in  time  to  fill  up  the  gap.  How  do  you  li^e 
him,  Isobel?" 

"  He  is  amusing,"  the  girl  said  quietly;  '-'  I  have  never 
seen  anyone  quite  like  him  before;  he  talks  in  an  easy, 
pleasant  sort  of  way,  and  tells  most  amusing  stories. 
Then,  when  he  sits  down  by  one  he  has  the  knack  of 
dropping  his  voice  and  talkiug  in  a  confidential  sort  of 
way,  even  when  it  is  only  about  the  weather.  I  am 
always  asking  myself  how  much  of  it  is  real,  and  what 
there  is  under  the  surface.'" 

Mrs.  Doolan  nodded  approval. 

"  I  don't  think  there  is  much  under  the  surface,  dear, 
and  what  there  is  is  jusfc  as  well  left  alone;  but  there  is 
no  doubt  he  can  be  delightful  when  he  chooses,  and  very 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

few  women  would  not  feel  flattered  by  the  attentions  of 
a  man  who  is  said  to  be  the  handsomest  officer  in  the 
Indian  army,  and  who  has  besides  distinguished  himself 
several  times  as  a  particularly  dashing  officer." 

"  I  don't  think  handsomeness  goes  for  much  in  a  man," 
Isobel  said  shortly. 

Mrs.  Doolan  laughed. 

"  Why  should  it  not  go  for  as  much  as  prettiness  in  a 
woman?  It  is  no  use  being  cynical,  Isobel;  it  is  part  of 
our  nature  to  admire  pretty  things,  and  as  far  as  I  can 
see  an  exceptionally  handsome  man  is  as  legitimate  an  ob- 
ject of  admiration  as  a  lovely  woman." 

"  Yes,  to  admire,  Mrs.  Doolan,  but  not  to  like." 

"  Well,  my  dear,  I  don't  want  to  be  hurrying  you  away, 
but  I  think  you  had  better  get  back  before  the  sun  gets 
any  higher.  You  may  say  you  don't  feel  the  heat  much, 
but  you  are  looking  pale  and  fagged,  and  the  less  you  are 
out  in  the  sun  the  better." 

Isobel  had  indeed  been  having  a  hard  time  during 
those  ten  days.  At  first  she  had  thought  of  little  but 
what  she  should  do  when  Bathurst  called.  It  seemed 
impossible  that  she  could  be  exactly  the  same  with  him 
as  she  had  been  before,  that  was  quite  out  of  the  ques- 
tion, and  yet  how  was  she  to  be  different? 

Ten  days  had  passed  without  his  coming.  This  was  so 
unusual  that  an  idea  came  into  her  mind  which  terrified 
her,  and  the  first  time  when  the  Doctor  came  in  and 
found  har  alone  she  said,  "Of  course,  Dr.  Wade,  you 
have  not  mentioned  to  Mr.  Bathurst  the  conversation 
we  had,  but  it  is  curious  his  not  having  been  here 
since." 

"  Certainly  I  mentioned  it,"  the  Doctor  said  calmly; 
"  how  could  I  do  otherwise?  It  was  evident  to  me  that 
he  would  not  be  welcomed  here  as  he  was  before,  and  I 
could  not  do  otherwise  than  warn  him  of  the  change 
he  might  expect  to  find,  and  to  give  him  the  reason 
for  it." 

Isobel  stood  the  picture  of  dismay.  "I  don't  think 
you  had  any  right  to  do  so,  Doctor,"  she  said.  "  You 
have  placed  me  in  a  most  painful  position." 

"  In  not  so  painful  a  one  as  it  would  have  been^  my 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  163 

dear,  if  he  had  noticed  the  change  himself,  as  he  must 
have  done,  and  asked  for  the  cause  of  it." 

Isobel  stood  twisting  her  fingers  over  each  other  before 
her  nervously. 

"  But  what  am  I  to  do  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  I  do  not  see  that  there  is  anything  more  for  you  to 
do,"  the  Doctor  said.  "  Mr.  Bathurst  may  not  be  perfect 
in  all  respects,  but  he  is  certainly  too  much  of  a  gentle- 
man to  force  his  visits  where  they  are  not  wanted.  I  do 
not  say  he  will  not  come  here  at  all,  for  not  to  do  so  after 
being  here  so  much  would  create  comment  and  talk  in  the 
station,  which  would  be  as  painful  to  you  as  to  him,  but 
he  certainly  will  not  come  here  more  often  than  is  neces- 
sary to  keep  up  appearances." 

"I  don't  think  you  ought  to  have  told  him,"  Isobel 
repeated,  much  distressed. 

"  I  could  not  help  it,  my  dear.  You  would  force  me 
to  admit  there  was  some  truth  in  the  story  Captain 
Forster  told  you,  and  I  was,  therefore,  obliged  to  acquaint 
him  with  the  fact  or  he  would  have  had  just  cause  to  re- 
proach me.  Besides,  you  spoke  of  despising  a  man  who 
was  not  physically  brave." 

"You  never  told  him  that,  Doctor;  surely  you  never 
told  him  that?" 

"  I  only  told  what  it  was  necessary  he  should  know,  my 
dear,  namely,  that  you  had  heard  the  story,  that  you  had 
questioned  me,  and  that  I,  knowing  the  facts  from  his 
lips,  admitted  that  there  was  some  foundation  for  the 
story,  while  asserting  that  I  was  convinced  that  he  was 
morally  a  brave  man.  He  did  not  ask  how  you  took  the 
news,  nor  did  I  volunteer  any  information  whatever  on 
the  subject,  but  he  understood,  I  think,  perfectly  the 
light  in  which  you  would  view  a  coward." 

"But  what  am  I  to  do  when  we  meet,  Doctor?"  she 
asked  piteously. 

"  I  should  say  that  you  will  meet  just  as  ordinary 
acquaintances  do  meet,  Miss  Hannay.  People  are  civil 
to  others  they  are  thrown  with,  however  much  they  may 
distrust  them  at  heart.  You  may  be  sure  that  Mr. 
Bathurst  will  make  no  allusion  whatever  to  the  matter. 
I  think  I  can  answer  for  it  that  you  will  see  no  shade  of 


164  RVJUB,   TUP;  JUGGLER. 

difference  in  his  manner.  This  has  always  been  a  heavy 
burden  for  him,  as  even  the  most  careless  observer  may 
see  in  his  manner.  I  do  not  say  that  this  is  not  a  large 
addition  to  it,  but  I  dare  say  he  will  pull  through;  and 
now  I  must  be  off." 

"  You  are  very  unkind,  Doctor,  and  I  never  knew  you 
•unkind  before." 

"  Unkind! "  the  Doctor  repeated,  with  an  air  of  sur- 
prise. "In  what  way?  I  love  this  young  fellow.  I  had 
cherished  hopes  for  him  that  he  hardly  perhaps  ventured 
to  cherish  for  himself.  I  quite  agree  with  you  that  what 
has  passed  has  annihilated  those  hopes.  You  despise  a 
man  who  is  a  coward.  I  am  not  surprised  at  that. 
Bathurst  is  the  last  man  in  the  world  who  would  force 
himself  upon  a  woman  who  despised  him.  I  have  done 
my  best  to  save  you  from  being  obliged  to  make  a  per- 
sonal declaration  of  your  sentiments.  I  repudiate  alto- 
gether the  accusation  as  being  unkind.  I  don't  blame 
you  in  the  slightest.  I  think  that  your  view  is  the  one 
that  a  young  woman  of  spirit  would  naturally  take.  I 
acquiesce  in  it  entirely.  I  will  go  farther,  I  consider  it  a 
most  fortunate  occurrence  for  you  both  that  you  found 
it  out  in  time." 

IsobePs  cheeks  had  flushed  and  paled  several  times 
while  he  was  speaking;  then  she  pressed  her  lips  tightly 
together,  and  as  he  finished  she  said,  "  I  think,  Doctor, 
it  will  be  just  as  well  not  to  discuss  the  matter  further." 

"  I  am  quite  of  your  opinion,"  he  said.  "  We  will 
agree  not  to  allude  to  it  again.  Good-by." 

And  then  Isobel  had  retired  to  her  room  and  cried 
passionately,  while  the  Doctor  had  gone  off  chuckling  to 
himself  as  if  he  were  perfectly  satisfied  with  the  state  of 
affairs. 

During  the  week  that  had  since  elapsed  the  Major  had 
wondered  and  grumbled  several  times  at  Bathurst'a 
absence. 

"I  expect,"  he  said  one  day,  when  a  note  of  refusal 
had  come  from  him,  "that  he  doesn't  care  about  meet- 
ing Porster.  You  remember  Forster  said  they  had  been 
at  school  together,  and  irom  the  tone  in  which  he  spoke 
it  is  evident  that  they  disliked  each  other  there.  No 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER  165 

doubt  he  has  heard  from  the  Doctor  that  Forster  is  fre- 
quently in  here,"  and  the  Major  spoke  rather  irritably, 
for  it  seemed  to  him  that  Isobel  showed  more  pleasure 
in  the  Captain's  society  than  she  should  have  done  after 
what  he  had  said  to  her  about  him;  indeed,  Isobel, 
especially  when  the  Doctor  was  present,  appeared  by  no 
means  to  object  to  Captain  Forster's  attentions. 

Upon  the  evening,  however,  of  the  day  when  Isobel 
had  spoken  to  Mrs.  Doolan,  Bathurst  came  in,  rather  late 
in  the  evening. 

"How  are  you,  Bathurst?"  the  Major  said  cordially. 
"  Why,  you  have  become  quite  a  stranger.  We  haven't 
seen  you  for  over  a  fortnight.  Do  you  know  Captain 
Forster?  " 

"  We  were  at  school  together  formerly,  I  believe," 
Bathurst  said  quietly.  "  We  have  not  met  since,  and  I 
fancy  we  are  both  changed  beyond  recognition." 

Captain  Forster  looked  with  surprise  at  the  strong, 
well-knit  figure.  He  had  not  before  seen  Bathurst,  and 
had  pictured  him  to  himself  as  a  weak,  puny  man. 

"  I  certainly  should  not  have  known  Mr.  Bathurst," 
he  said.  "  I  have  changed  a  great  deal,  no  doubt,  but  he 
has  certainly  changed  more." 

There  was  no  attempt  on  the  part  of  either  to  shake 
hands.  As  they  moved  apart  Isobel  came  into  the 
room. 

A  quick  flash  of  color  spread  over  her  face  when,  upon 
entering,  she  saw  Bathurst  talking  to  her  uncle.  Then 
she  advanced,  shook  hands  with  him  as  usual,  and  said, 
"It  is  quite  a  time  since  you  were  here,  Mr.  Bathurst. 
If  everyone  was  as  full  of  business  as  you  are,  we  should 
get  on  badly." 

Then  she  moved  on  without  waiting  for  a  reply  and  sat 
down,  and  was  soon  engaged  in  a  lively  conversation  with 
Captain  Forster,  whilst  Bathurst,  a  few  minutes  later, 
pleading  that  as  he  had  been  in  the  saddle  all  day  he 
must  go  and  make  up  for  lost  time,  took  his  leave. 

Captain  Forster  had  noticed  the  flush  on  IsobePs 
cheeks  when  she  saw  Bathurst,  and  had  drawn  his  own 
conclusions. 

"There  has  been  a  flirtation  between  them,"  he  eaid 


166  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

to  himself;  "  but  I  fancy  I  have  put  a  spoke  in  his  wheel. 
She  gave  him  the  cold  shoulder  unmistakably." 

April  passed,  and  as  matters  seemed  to  be  quieting 
down,  there  being  no  fresh  trouble  at  any  of  the  stations, 
the  Major  told  Dr.  Wade  that  he  really  saw  no  reason 
why  the  projected  tiger-hunt  should  not  take  place.  The 
Doctor  at  once  took  the  matter  in  hand,  and  drove  out 
the  next  morning  to  the  village  from  which  he  had  re- 
ceived news  about  the  tiger,  had  a  long  talk  with  the 
shikaris  of  the  place,  took  a  general  view  of  the  country, 
settled  the  line  in  which  the  beat  should  take  place,  and 
arranged  for  a  large  body  of  beaters  to  be  on  the  spot  at 
the  time  agreed  on. 

Bathurst  undertook  to  obtain  the  elephants  from  two 
Zemindars  in  the  neighborhood,  who  promised  to  furnish 
six,  all  of  which  were  more  or  less  accustomed  to  the 
sport;  while  the  Major  and  Mr.  Hunter,  who  had  been  a 
keen  sportsman,  although  he  had  of  late  given  up  the 
pursuit  of  large  game,  arranged  for  a  number  of  bullock- 
carts  for  the  transport  of  tents  and  stores. 

Bathurst  himself  declined  to  be  one  of  the  party,  which 
was  to  consist  of  Mr.  Hunter  and  his  eldest  daughter, 
the  Major  and  Isobel,  the  Doctor,  the  two  subalterns, 
and  Captain  Forster.  Captain  Doolan  said  frankly  that 
he  was  no  shot,  and  more  likely  to  hit  one  of  the  party 
than  the  tiger.  Captain  Rintoul  at  first  accepted,  but 
his  wife  shed  such  floods  of  tears  at  the  idea  of  his  leav- 
ing her  and  going  into  danger,  that  for  the  sake  of  peace 
he  agreed  to  remain  at  home. 

Wilson  and  Richards  were  greatly  excited  over  the 
prospect,  and  talked  of  nothing  else;  they  were  burning 
to  wipe  out  the  disgrace  of  having  missed  on  the  previous 
occasion.  Each  of  them  interviewed  the  Doctor  privately, 
and  implored  him  to  put  them  in  a  position  where  they 
were  likely  to  have  the  first  shot.  Both  used  the  same 
arguments,  namely,  that  the  Doctor  had  killed  so  many 
tigers  that  one  more  or  less  could  make  no  difference  to 
him,  and  if  they  missed,  which  they  modestly  admitted 
was  possible,  he  could  still  bring  the  animal  down. 

As  the  Doctor  was  always  in  a  good  temper  when 
there  was  a  prospect  of  sport,  he  promised  each  of  them 


RVJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  167 

io  do  all  that  he  could  for  them,  at  the  same  time  point- 
ing out  that  it  was  always  quite  a  lottery  which  way  the 
tiger  might  break  out. 

Isobel  was  less  excited  than  she  would  have  thought 
possible  over  the  prospect  of  taking  part  in  a  tiger-hunt. 
She  had  many  consultations  to  hold  with  Mrs.  Hunter, 
the  Doctor,  and  Rumzan  as  to  the  food  to  be  taken,  and 
the  things  that  would  be  absolutely  necessary  for  camp- 
ing out;  for,  as  it  was  possible  that  the  first  day's  beat 
would  be  unsuccessful,  they  were  to  be  prepared  for  at 
least  two  days'  absence  from  home.  Two  tents  were  to 
be  taken,  one  for  the  gentlemen,  the  other  for  Isobel 
and  Mary  Hunter.  These,  with  bedding  and  camp  furni- 
ture, cooking  utensils  and  provisions,  were  to  be  sent  off 
at  daybreak,  while  the  party  were  to  start  as  soon  as  the 
heat  of  the  day  was  over. 

"  I  wish  Bathurst  had  been  coming,"  Major  Hannay 
said,  as,  with  Isobel  by  his  side,  he  drove  out  of  the 
cantonment.  "  He  seems  to  have  slipped  away  from  us 
altogether;  he  has  only  been  in  once  for  the  last  three  or 
four  weeks.  You  haven't  had  a  tiff  with  him  about  any- 
thing, have  you,  Isobel?  It  seems  strange  his  ceasing 
so  suddenly  to  come  after  our  seeing  so  much  of  him." 

"  No,  uncle,  I  have  not  seen  him  except  when  you 
have.  What  put  such  an  idea  into  your  mind?  " 

"  I  don't  know,  my  dear;  young  people  do  have  tiffs 
sometimes  about  all  sorts  of  trifles,  though  I  should  not 
have  thought  that  Bathurst  was  the  sort  of  man  to  do 
anything  of  that  sort.  I  don't  think  that  he  likes 
Forster,  and  does  not  care  to  meet  him.  I  fancy  that  is 
at  the  bottom  of  it." 

"  Very  likely,"  Isobel  said  innocently,  and  changed  the 
subject. 

It  was  dark  when  they  reached  the  appointed  spot,  and 
indeed  from  the  point  where  they  left  the  road  a  native 
with  a  torch  had  run  ahead  to  show  them  the  way.  The 
tents  looked  bright;  two  or  three  large  fires  were  burning 
round  them,  and  the  lamps  had  already  been  lighted 
within. 

"  These  tents  do  look  cozy,"  Mary  Hunter  said,  as  she 
and  Isobel  entered  the  one  prepared  for  them.  "I  do 


168  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

wish  one  always  lived  under  canvas  during  the  hot 
weather." 

"  They  look  cool,"  Isobel  said,  "  but  I  don't  suppose 
they  are  really  as  cool  as  the  bungalows;  but  they  do 
make  them  comfortable.  Here  is  the  bathroom  all  ready, 
and  I  am  sure  we  want  it  after  that  dusty  drive.  Will 
you  have  one  first,  or  shall  I?  We  must  make  haste,  for 
Rumzan  said  dinner  would  be  ready  in  half  an  hour. 
Fortunately  we  shan't  be  expected  to  do  much  in  the  way 
of  dressing." 

The  dinner  was  a  cheerful  meal,  and  everyone  was  in 
high  spirits. 

Tlie  tiger  had  killed  a  cow  the  day  before,  and  the 
villagers  were  certain  that  he  had  retired  to  a  deep  nullahi 
round  which  a  careful  watch  had  been  kept  all  day. 
Probably  he  would  steal  out  by  night  to  make  a  meal 
from  the  carcass  of  the  cow,  but  it  had  been  arranged 
that  he  was  to  do  this  undisturbed,  and  that  the  hunt 
was  to  take  place  by  daylight. 

"  It  is  wonderful  how  the  servants  manage  every- 
thing," Isobel  said.  "  The  table  is  just  as  well  arranged 
as  it  is  at  home.  People  would  hardly  believe  in 
England,  if  they  could  see  us  sitting  here,  that  we  were 
only  out  on  a  two-days'  picnic.  They  would  be  quite 
content  there  to  rough  it  and  take  their  meals  sitting  on 
the  ground,  or  anyway  they  could  get  them.  It  really 
seems  ridiculous  having  everything  like  this." 

"  There  is  nothing  like  making  yourself  comfortable," 
the  Doctor  said;  "  and  as  the  servants  have  an  easy  time 
of  it  generally,  it  does  them  good  to  bestir  themselves 
now  and  then.  The  expense  of  one  or  two  extra  bullock 
carts  is  nothing,  and  its  makes  all  the  difference  in  com- 
fort." 

"How  far  is  the  nullah  from  here,  Doctor?"  Wilson, 
who  could  think  of  nothing  else  but  the  tiger,  asked. 

"  About  two  miles.  It  is  just  as  well  not  to  go  any 
nearer.  Not  that  he  would  be  likely  to  pay  us  a  visit, 
but  he  might  take  the  alarm  and  shift  his  quarters.  No, 
no  more  wine,  Major;  we  shall  want  our  blood  cool  in  the 
morning.  Now  we  will  go  out  to  look  at  the  elephants 
and  have  a  talk  with  the  mahouts,  and  find  out  which  of 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  169 

the  animals  can  be  most  trusted  to  stand  steady.  It  is 
astonishing  what  a  dread  most  elephants  have  of  tigers. 
I  was  on  one  once  that  I  was  assured  would  face  any- 
thing, and  the  brute  bolted  and  went  through  some  trees, 
and  I  was  swept  off  the  pad  and  was  half  an  hour  before 
I  opened  my  eyes.  It  was  a  mercy  I  had  not  every  rib 
broken.  Fortunately  I  was  a  lightweight,  or  I  might 
have  been  killed.  And  I  have  seen  the  same  sort  of 
thing  happen  a  dozen  times,  so  we  must  choose  a  couple 
of  steady  ones,  anyhow,  for  the  ladies." 

For  the  next  hour  they  strolled  about  outside.  The 
Doctor  cross-questioned  the  mahouts  and  told  off  the 
elephants  for  the  party;  then  there  was  a  talk  with  the 
native  shikaris  and  arrangements  made  for  the  beat,  and 
at  an  early  hour  all  retired  to  rest.  The  morning  was 
just  breaking  when  they  were  called.  Twenty  minutes 
later  they  assembled  to  take  a  cup  of  coffee  before  start- 
ing. The  elephants  were  arranged  in  front  of  the  tents, 
and  they  were  just  about  to  mount  when  a  horse  was 
heard  coming  at  a  gallop. 

"  Wait  a  moment,"  the  Major  said;  "  it  may  be  a  mes- 
sage of  some  sort  from  the  station."  A  minute  later 
Bathurst  rode  in  and  reined  up  his  horse  in  front  of  the 
tent. 

"  Why,  Bathurst,  what  brings  you  here?  Changed 
your  mind  at  the  last  moment,  and  found  you  could  get 
away?  That's  right;  you  shall  come  on  the  pad  with 
me." 

"  No,  I  have  not  come  for  that,  Major;  I  have  brought 
a  dispatch  that  arrived  at  two  o'clock  this  morning. 
Doolan  opened  it  and  came  to  me,  and  asked  me  to  bring 
it  on  to  you,  as  I  knew  the  way  and  where  your  camp 
was  to  be  pitched." 

"Nothing  serious,  I  hope,  Bathurst,"  the  Major  said, 
-  struck  with  the  gravity  with  which  Bathurst  spoke.  "  It 
must  be  something  important,  or  Dcolan  would  never 
have  routed  you  off  like  that." 

"It  is  very  serious,  Major,"  Bathurst  said,  in  a  low- 
voice.  "May  I  suggest  you  had  better  go  into  the  tent 
to  read  it?  Some  of  the  servants  understand  English." 

"  Come  in  with  me,"  the  Major  said,  and  led  the  way 


170  RUJUBt  THE  JUGGLER. 

into  the  tent,  where  the  lamps  were  still  burning  on  the 
breakfast  table,  although  the  light  had  broadened  out 
over  the  sky  outside.  It  was  with  grave  anticipation  of 
evil  that  the  Major  took  the  paper  from  its  envelope,  but 
his  worst  fears  were  more  than  verified  by  the  contents. 

"  MY  DEAR  MAJOR:  The  General  has  just  received  a 
telegram  with  terrible  news  from  Meerut.  *  Native 
troops  mutinied,  murdered  officers,  women,  and  children, 
opened  jails  and  burned  cantonments,  and  marched  to 
Delhi.'  It  is  reported  that  there  has  been  a  general  rising 
there  and  the  massacre  of  all  Europeans.  Although  this 
is  not  confirmed,  the  news  is  considered  probable.  We 
hear  also  that  the  native  cavalry  at  Lucknow  have 
mutinied.  Lawrence  telegraphs  that  he  has  suppressed 
it  with  the  European  troops  there,  and  has  disarmed  the 
mutineers.  I  believe  that  our  regiment  will  be  faithful, 
but  none  can  be  trusted  now.  I  should  recommend  your 
preparing  some  fortified  house  to  which  all  Europeans 
in  station  can  retreat  in  case  of  trouble.  Now  that  they 
have  taken  to  massacre  as  well  as  mutiny,  God  knows  how 
it  will  all  end." 

"  Good  Heavens!  who  could  have  dreamt  of  this? x 
the  Major  groaned.  "  Massacred  their  officers,  women, 
and  children.  All  Europeans  at  Delhi  supposed  to  have 
been  massacred,  and  there  must  be  hundreds  of  them. 
Can  it  be  true?" 

"  The  telegram  as  to  Meerut  is  clearly  an  official  one," 
Bathurst  said.  "  Delhi  is  as  yet  but  a  rumor,  but  it  is 
too  probable  that  if  these  mutineers  and  jail-birds, 
flushed  with  success,  reached  Delhi  before  the  whites 
were  warned,  they  would  have  their  own  way  in  the  place, 
as,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  artillerymen  at  the 
arsenal,  there  is  not  a  white  soldier  in  the  place." 

"  But  there  were  white  troops  at  Meerut,"  the  Major 
said.  "  What  could  they  have  been  doing?  However, 
that  is  not  the  question  now.  We  must,  of  course,  re- 
turn instantly.  Ask  the  others  to  come  in  here,  Bathurst. 
Don't  tell  the  girls  what  has  taken  place;  it  will  be  time 
enough  for  that  afterwards.  All  that  is  necessary  to  say 


RUJUBt  THE  JUGGLER. 

is  that  you  have  brought  news  of  troubles  at  some  sta- 
tions unaffected  before,  and  that  I  think  it  best  to  return 
at  once." 

The  men  were  standing  in  a  group,  wondering  what 
the  news  could  be  which  was  deemed  of  such  importance 
that  Bathurst  should  carry  it  out  in  the  middle  of  the 
night. 

"  The  Major  will  be  glad  if  you  will  all  go  in,  gentle- 
men," Bathurst  said,  as  he  joined  them. 

"  Are  we  to  go  in,  Mr.  Bathurst  ?  "  Miss  Hunter  asked. 

"  No,  I  think  not,  Miss  Hunter;  the  fact  is  there  have 
been  some  troubles  at  two  or  three  other  places,  and  the 
Major  is  going  to  hold  a  sort  of  council  of  war  as  to 
whether  the  hunt  had  not  better  be  given  up.  I  rather 
fancy  that  they  will  decide  to  go  back  at  once.  News 
flies  very  fast  in  India.  I  -think  the  Major  would  like 
that  he  and  his  officers  should  be  back  before  it  is  whis- 
pered among  the  Sepoys  that  the  discontent  has  not,  as 
we  hoped,  everywhere  ceased." 

"  It  must  be  very  serious,"  Isobel  said,  "  or  uncle  would 
never  decide  to  go  back,  when  all  the  preparations  are 
made." 

"  It  would  never  do,  you  see,  Miss  Hannay,  for  the 
Commandant  and  four  of  the  officers  to  be  away,  if  the 
Sepoys  should  take  it  into  their  heads  to  refuse  to  re- 
ceive cartridges  or  anything  of  that  sort." 

"You  can't  give  us  any  particulars,  then,  Mr. 
Bathurst?" 

"  The  note  was  a  very  short  one,  and  was  partly  made 
up  of  unconfirmed  rumors.  As  I  only  saw  it  in  my 
capacity  of  a  messenger,  I  don't  think  I  am  at  liberty 
to  say  more  than  that." 

"What  a  trouble  the  .Sepoys  are,"  Mary  Hunter  said 
pettishly;  "  it  is  too  bad  our  losing  a  tiger-hunt  when  we 
may  never  have  another  chance  to  see  one! " 

"  That  is  a  very  minor  trouble,  Mary." 

"  I  don't  think  so,"  the  girl  said;  "  just  at  present  it 
seems  to  me  to  be  very  serious." 

At  this  moment  the  Doctor  put  his  head  out  of  the 
tent. 

"Will  you  come  in,  Bathurst?" 


173  RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER. 

"We  have  settled,  Bathurst,"  the  Major  said,  when 
he  entered,  "  that  we  must,  of  course,  go  hack  at  once. 
The  Doctor,  however,  is  of  opinion  that  if,  after  all  the 
preparations  were  made,  we  were  to  put  the  tiger-hunt 
off  altogether,  it  would  set  the  natives  talking,  and  the 
report  would  go  through  the  country  like  wildfire  that 
some  great  disaster  had  happened.  We  must  go  back  at 
once,  and  Mr.  Hunter,  having  a  wife  and  daughter  there, 
is  anxious  to  get  back,  too;  but  the  Doctor  urges  that  he 
should  go  out  and  kill  this  tiger.  As  it  is  known  that 
you  have  just  arrived,  he  says  that  if  you  are  willing  to 
go  with  him,  it  will  be  thought  that  you  had  come  here 
to  join  the  hunt,  and  if  that  comes  off,  and  the  tiger  is 
killed,  it  does  not  matter  whether  two  or  sixty  of  us  went 
out." 

"I  shall  be  quite  willing  to  do  so,"  said  Bathurgt, 
"  and  I  really  think  that  the  Doctor's  advice  is  good. 
If,  now  that  you  have  all  arrived  upon  the  ground,  the 
preparations  were  canceled,  there  can  be  no  doubt  that 
the  natives  would  come  to  the  conclusion  that  something 
very  serious  had  taken  place,  and  it  would  be  all  over  the 
place  in  no  time." 

"Thank  you,  Bathurst.  Then  we  will  consider  that 
arranged.  Now  we  will  get  the  horses  in  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible, and  be  off  at  once." 

Ten  mimutes  later  the  buggies  were  brought  round, 
and  the  whole  party,  with  the  exception  of  the  Doctor 
and  Bathurst,  started  for  Deennugghur. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

"LET  us  be  off  at  once,"  Dr.  Wade  said  to  his  com- 
panion; "we  can  talk  as  we  go  along.  I  have  got  two 
rifles  with  me;  I  can  lend  you  one." 

"I  shall  take  no  rifle,"  Bathurst  said  decidedly,  "or 
rather  I  will  take  one  of  the  shikaris'  guns  for  the  sake 
of  appearance,  and  for  use  I  will  borrow  one  of  their 
spears." 

"  Very  well;  I  will  do  the  shooting,  then,"  the  Doctor 
agreed. 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER.  173 

The  two  men  then  took  their  places  on  the  elephants 
most  used  to  the  work,  and  told  the  mahouts  of  the 
others  to  follow  in  case  the  elephants  should  be  required 
for  driving  the  tiger  out  of  the  thick  jungle,  and  they 
then  started  side  by  side  for  the  scene  of  action. 

"This  is  awful  news,  Bathurst.  I  could  not  hare  be- 
lieved it  possible  that  these  fellows  who  have  eaten  our 
salt  for  years,  fought  our  battles,  and  have  seemed  the 
most  docile  and  obedient  of  soldiers,  should  have  done 
this.  That  they  should  have  been  goaded  into  mutiny 
by  lies  about  their  religion  being  in  danger  I  could  have 
imagined  well  enough,  but  that  they  should  go  in  for 
wholesale  massacre,  not  only  of  their  officers,  but  of 
women  and  children,  seems  well-nigh  incredible.  You 
and  I  have  always  agreed  that  if  they  were  once  roused 
there  was  no  saying  what  they  would  do,  but  I  don't 
think  either  of  us  dreamt  of  anything  as  bad  as  this." 

"  I  don't  know,"  Bathurst  said  quietly;  "  one  has 
watched  this  cloud  gathering,  and  felt  that  if  it  did  break 
it  would  be  something  terrible.  No  one  can  foresee  now 
what  it  will  be.  The  news  that  Delhi  is  in  the  hands  of 
the  mutineers,  and  that  these  have  massacred  all  Euro- 
peans, and  so  placed  themselves  beyond  all  hope  of 
pardon,  will  fly  though  India  like  a  flash  of  lightning, 
and  there  is  no  guessing  how  far  the  matter  will  spread. 
There  is  no  use  disguising  it  from  ourselves,  Doctor,  be- 
fore a  week  is  over  there  may  not  be  a  white  man  left 
alive  in  India,  save  the  garrisons  of  strong  places  like 
Agra,  and  perhaps  the  presidential  towns,  where  there  is 
always  a  strong  European  force." 

"I  can't  deny  that  it  is  possible,  Bathurst.  If  this 
revolt  spreads  though  the  three  Presidencies  the  work  of 
conquering  India  will  have  to  be  begun  again,  and  worse 
than  that,  for  we  should  have  opposed  to  us  a  vast  army 
drilled  and  armed  by  ourselves,  and  led  by  the  native 
officers  we  have  trained.  It  seems  stupefying  that  an 
empire  won  piecemeal,  and  after  as  hard  fighting  as  the 
world  has  ever  seen,  should  be  lost  in  a  week." 

The  Doctor  spoke  as  if  the  question  was  a  purely  im- 
personal one. 

"Ugly,  isn't  it?"  he  went  on;  "and  to  think  I  have 


174  RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER. 

been  doctoring  up  these  fellows  for  the  last  thirty  years 
— saving  their  lives,  sir,  by  wholesale.  If  I  had  known 
what  had  been  coming  I  would  have  dosed  them  with 
arsenic  with  as  little  remorse  as  I  should  feel  in  shoot- 
ing a  tiger's  whelp.  Well,  there  is  one  satisfaction,  the 
Major  has  already  done  something  towards  turning  the 
court-house  into  a  fortress,  and  I  fancy  a  good  many  of 
the  scoundrels  will  go  down  before  they  take  it,  that  is, 
if  they  don't  fall  on  us  unawares.  I  have  been  a  non-com- 
batant all  my  life,  but  if  I  can  shoot  a  tiger  on  the 
spring  I  fancy  I  can  hit  a  Sepoy.  By  Jove,  Bathurst, 
that  juggler's  picture  you  told  me  of  is  likely  to  come 
true  after  all! " 

"I  wish  to  Heaven  it  was!"  Bathurst  said  gloomily; 
"  I  could  look  without  dread  at  whatever  is  coming  as  far 
as  I  am  concerned,  if  I  could  believe  it  possible  that  I 
should  be  fighting  as  I  saw  myself  there." 

"  Pooh,  nonsense,  lad!  "  the  Doctor  said.  "  Knowing 
what  I  know  of  you,  I  have  no  doubt  that,  though  you 
may  feel  nervous  at  first,  you  will  get  over  it  in  time." 

Bathurst  shook  his  head.  "I  know  myself  too  well, 
Doctor,  to  indulge  in  any  such  hopes.  Now  you  see  we 
are  going  out  tiger-hunting.  At  present,  now,  as  far  as 
I  am  concerned,  I  should  feel  much  less  nervous  if  I  knew 
I  was  going  to  enter  the  jungle  on  foot  with  ~>n7y  this 
spear,  than  I  do  at  the  thought  that  you  are  g  ..ing  to  fire 
that  rifle  a  few  paces  from  me." 

"  You  will  scarcely  notice  it  in  the  excitement,"  the 
Doctor  said.  "  In  cold  blood  I  admit  you  might  feel  it, 
but  I  don't  think  you  will  when  you  see  the  tiger  spring 
out  from  the  jungle  at  us.  But  here  we  are.  That  is 
the  nullah  in  which  they  say  the  tiger  retires  at  night. 
I  expect  the  beaters  are  lying  all  round  in  readiness,  and 
as  soon  as  we  have  taken  up  our  station  at  its  mouth 
they  will  begin." 

A  shikari  came  up  as  they  approached  the  spot. 

"  The  tiger  went  out  last  night,  sahib,  and  finished  the 
cow;  he  came  back  before  daylight,  and  the  beaters  are 
all  in  readiness  to  begin." 

The  elephants  were  soon  in  position  at  the  mouth  of 
the  ravine,  which  was  some  thirty  yards  across.  At  about 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  175 

the  same  distance  in  front  of  them  the  jungle  of  high, 
coarse  grass  and  thick  bush  began. 

"  If  you  were  going  to  shoot,  Bathurst,  we  would  take 
post  one  each  side,  but  as  you  are  not  going  to  I  will  place 
myself  nearly  in  the  center,  and  if  you  are  between  me 
and  the  rocks  the  tiger  is  pretty  certain  to  go  on  the 
other  side,  as  it  will  seem  the  most  open  to  him.  Now  we 
are  ready,"  he  said  to  the  shikari. 

The  latter  waved  a  white  rag  on  the  top  of  a  long  stick, 
and  at  the  signal  a  tremendous  hubbub  of  gongs  and 
tom-toms,  mingled  with  the  shouts  of  numbers  of  the 
men,  arose.  The  Doctor  looked  across  at  his  companion. 
His  face  was  white  and  set,  his  muscles  twitched  convul- 
sively; he  was  looking  straight  in  front  of  him,  his  teeth 
set  hard. 

"An  interesting  case,"  the  Doctor  muttered  to  him- 
self, "  if  it  had  been  anyone  else  than  Bathurst.  I  ex- 
pect the  tiger  will  be  some  little  time  before  it  is  down. 
Bathurst/'  he  said,  in  a  quiet  voice.  Three  times  he  re- 
peated the  observation,  each  time  raising  his  voice 
higher,  before  Bathurst  heard  him. 

"  The  sooner  it  comes  the  better,"  Bathurst  said,  be- 
tween his  teeth.  "  I  would  rather  face  a  hundred  tigers 
than  this  infernal  din." 

A  quarter  of  an  hour  passed,  and  the  Doctor,  rifle  in 
hand,  was  watching  the  bushes  in  front  when  he  saw  a 
slight  movement  among  the  leaves  on  his  right,  the  side 
on  which  Bathurst  was  stationed. 

"  That's  him,  Bathurst;  he  has  headed  back;  he  caught 
sight  of  either  your  elephant  or  mine;  he  will  make  a 
bolt  in  another  minute  now  unless  he  turns  back  on  the 
beaters." 

A  minute  later  there  was  a  gleam  of  tawny  yellow 
among  the  long  grass,  and  quick  as  thought  the  Doctor 
fired.  With  a  sharp  snarl  the  tiger  leaped  out,  and  with 
two  short  bounds  sprang  onto  the  head  of  i>he  elephant 
ridden  by  Bathurst.  The  mahout  gave  a  cry  of  pain,  for 
the  talons  of  one  of  the  forepaws  were  fixed  in  his  leg. 
Bathurst  leaned  forward  and  thrust  the  spear  he  held 
deep  into  the  animal's  neck.  At  the  same  moment  the 
Doctor  fired  again,  and  the  tiger,  shot  through  the 


176  RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER. 

head,  fell  dead,  while,  with  a  start,  Bathurst  lost  his 
balance  and  fell  over  the  elephant's  head  onto  the  body 
of  the  tiger. 

It  was  fortunate  indeed  for  him  that  the  ball  had 
passed  through  the  tiger's  skull  from  ear  to  ear,  and  that 
life  was  extinct  before  it  touched  the  ground.  Bathurst 
sprang  to  his  feet,  shaken  and  bewildered,  but  otherwise 
unhurt. 

*  He  is  as  dead  as  a  door  nail! "  the  Doctor  shouted, 
"  and  lucky  for  you  he  was  so;  if  he  had  had  a  kick  left 
in  him  you  would  have  been  badly  torn." 

"  I  should  never  have  fallen  off,"  Bathurst  said  angrily, 
"if  you  had  not  fired.  I  could  have  finished  him  with 
the  spear." 

"You  might  or  you  might  not;  I  could  not  wait  to 
think  about  that;  the  tiger  had  struck  its  claws  into  the 
mahout's  leg,  and  would  have  had  him  off  the  elephant 
in  another  moment.  That  is  a  first-rate  animal  you  were 
riding  on,  or  he  would  have  turned  and  bolted;  if  he  had 
done  so  you  and  the  mahout  would  have  both  been  off  to 
a  certainty." 

By  this  time  the  shouts  of  some  natives,  who  had 
taken  their  posts  in  trees  near  at  hand,  told  the  beaters 
that  the  shots  they  had  heard  had  been  successful,  and 
with  shouts  of  satisfaction  they  came  rushing  down.  The 
Doctor  at  once  dispatched  one  of  them  to  bring  up  his 
trap  and  Bathurst's  horse,  and  then  examined  the  tiger. 

It  was  a  very  large  one,  and  the  skin  was  in  good  con- 
dition, which  showed  that  he  had  not  taken  to  man- 
eating  long.  The  Doctor  bound  up  the  wound  on  the 
mahout's  leg,  and  then  superintended  the  skinning  of  the 
animal  while  waiting  for  the  arrival  of  the  trap. 

When  it  came  up  he  said,  "  You  might  as  well  take  a 
seat  by  my  side,  Bathurst;  the  syce  will  sit  behind  and 
lead  your  horse." 

Having  distributed  money  among  the  beaters,  the 
Doctor  took  his  place  in  his  trap,  the  tiger  skin  was 
rolled  up  and  placed  under  the  seat,  Bathurst  mounted 
beside  him,  and  they  started. 

"There,  you  see,  Doctor,"  Bathurst,  who  had  not 
opened  his  tips  from  the  time  he  had  remonstrated  with 


RUJUB.  THE  JUGGLER.  177 

the  Doctor  for  firing,  said;  "you  see  it  is  of  no  use.  I 
was  not  afraid  of  the  tiger,  for  I  knew  that  you  were  not 
likely  to  miss,  and  that  in  any  case  it  could  not  reach  me 
on  the  elephant.  I  can  declare  that  I  had  not  a  shadow 
of  fear  of  the  beast,  and  yet,  directly  that  row  began, 
my  nerves  gave  way  altogether.  It  was  hideous,  and  yet, 
the  moment  the  tiger  charged,  I  felt  perfectly  cool  again, 
for  the  row  ceased  as  you  fired  your  first  shot.  I  struck 
it  full  in  the  chest,  and  was  about  to  thrust  the  spear 
right  down,  and  should,  I  believe,  have  killed  it,  if  you 
had  not  fired  again  and  startled  me  so  that  I  fell  from 
the  elephant." 

"  I  saw  that  the  shouting  and  noise  unnerved  you, 
Bathurst,  but  I  saw  too  that  you  were  perfectly  cool  and 
steady  when  you  planted  your  spear  into  him.  If  it  had 
not  got  hold  of  the  mahout's  leg  I  should  not  have 
fired." 

"  Is  there  nothing  to  be  done,  Doctor?  You  know  now 
what  it  is  likely  we  shall  have  to  face  with  the  Sepoys 
and  what  it  will  be  with  me  if  they  rise.  Is  there  nothing 
you  can  do  for  me?" 

The  Doctor  shook  his  head.  "  I  don't  believe  in  Dutch 
courage  in  any  case,  Bathurst;  certainly  not  in  yours. 
There  is  no  saying  what  the  effect  of  spirits  might  be.  I 
should  not  recommend  them,  lad.  Of  course,  I  can  un- 
derstand your  feelings,  but  I  still  believe  that,  even  if 
you  do  badly  to  begin  with,  you  will  pull  round  in  the 
end.  I  have  no  doubt  you  will  get  a  chance  to  show  that 
it  is  only  nerve  and  not  courage  in  which  you  are  de- 
ficient." 

Bathurst  was  silent,  and  scarce  another  word  was 
spoken  during  the  drive  back  to  Deennugghur. 

The  place  had  its  accustomed  appearance  when  they 
drove  up.  The  Doctor,  as  he  drew  up  before  his  bunga- 
low, said,  "  Thank  God,  they  have  not  begun  yet!  I  was 
half  afraid  we  might  have  found  they  had  taken  ad- 
vantage of  most  of  us  being  away,  and  have  broken  out 
before  we  got  back." 

"  So  was  I,"  Bathurst  said.  "  I  have  been  thinking  of 
nothing  else  since  we  started." 

"  Well,  I  will  go  to  the  Major  at  once  and  see  what 


178  RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER. 

arrangements  have  been  made,  and  whether  there  is  any 
further  news." 

"  I  shall  go  off  on  my  rounds,"  Bathurst  said.  "  I  had 
arranged  yesterday  to  be  at  Nilpore  this  morning,  and 
there  will  be  time  for  me  to  get  there  now.  It  is  only 
eleven  o'clock  yet.  I  shall  go  about  my  work  as  usual 
until  matters  come  to  a  head." 

The  Doctor  found  that  the  Major  was  over  at  the  tent 
which  served  as  the  orderly-office,  and  at  once  followed 
him  there. 

"  Nothing  fresh,  Major?  " 

"  No;  we  found  everything  going  on  as  usual.  It  has 
been  decided  to  put  the  court-house  as  far  as  we  can  in  a 
state  of  defense.  I  shall  have  the  spare  ammunition 
quietly  taken  over  there,  with  stores  of  provisions.  The 
ladies  have  undertaken  to  sew  up  sacking  and  make 
gunny  bags  for  holding  earth,  and,  of  course,  we  shall 
get  a  store  of  water  there.  Everything  will  be  done 
quietly  at  present,  and  things  will  be  sent  in  there  after 
dark  by  such  servants  as  we  can  thoroughly  rely  upon. 
At  the  first  signs  of  trouble  the  residents  will  make 
straight  for  that  point.  Of  course  we  must  be  guided 
by  circumstances.  If  the  trouble  begins  in  the  daytime 
— that  is,  if  it  does  begin,  for  the  native  officers  assure 
us  that  we  can  trust  implicitly  in  the  loyalty  of  the  men 
— there  will  probably  be  time  for  everyone  to  gain  the 
court-house;  if  it  is  at  night,  and  without  warning,  as  it 
was  at  Meerut,  I  can  only  say,  Doctor,  may  God  help  us 
all,  for  I  fear  that  few,  if  any,  of  us  would  get  there 
alive.  Certainly  not  enough  to  make  any  efficient 
defense." 

"  I  do  not  see  that  there  is  anything  else  to  do,  Major. 
I  trust  with  you  that  the  men  will  prove  faithful;  if  not, 
it  is  a  black  lookout  whichever  way  ~we  take  it." 

"Did  you  kill  the  tiger,  Doctor?" 

"  Yes;  at  least  Bathurst  and  I  did  it  between  us.  I 
wounded  him  first.  It  then  sprang  upon  Bathurst's  ele- 
phant, and  he  speared  it,  and  I  finished  it  with  a  shot 
through  the  head." 

"Speared  it!"  the  Major  repeated;  "why  didn't  he 
shoot  it.  What  was  he  doing  with  his  spear?  v 


RUJVB,   THE  JUGGLER.  17$ 

"  He  was  born,  Major,  with  a  constitutional  horror  of 
firearms,  inherited  from  his  mother.  I  will  tell  you 
about  it  some  day.  In  fact,  he  cannot  stand  noise  of 
any  sort.  It  has  been  a  source  of  great  trouble  to  the 
young  fellow,  who  in  all  other  respects  has  more  than  a 
fair  share  of  courage.  However,  we  will  talk  about  that 
when  we  have  more  time  on  our  hands.  There  is  no 
special  duty  you  can  give  me  at  present  ?  " 

"  Yes,  there  is.  You  are  in  some  respects  the  most 
disengaged  man  in  the  station,  and  can  come  and  go  with- 
out attracting  any  attention.  I  propose,  therefore,  that 
you  shall  take  charge  of  the  arrangement  of  matters  in 
the  court-house.  I  think  that  it  will  be  an  advantage  if 
you  move  from  your  tent  in  there  at  once.  There  is  plenty 
of  room  for  us  all.  No  one  can  say  at  what  time  there 
may  be  trouble  with  the  Sepoys,  and  it  would  be  a  great 
advantage  to  have  someone  in  the  court-house  who  could 
take  the  lead  if  the  women,  with  the  servants  and  so  on, 
come  flocking  in  while  we  were  still  absent  on  the  parade 
ground.  Besides,  with  your  rifle,  you  could  drive  any 
small  party  off  who  attempted  to  seize  it  by  surprise.  If 
you  were  there  we  would  call  it  the  hospital,  which  would 
be  an  excuse  for  sending  in  stores,  bedding,  and  so  on. 

"  You  might  mention  in  the  orderly-room  that  it  is 
getting  so  hot  now  that  you  think  it  would  be  as  well  to 
have  a  room  or  two  fitted  up  under  a  roof,  instead  of 
having  the  sick  in  tents,  in  case  there  should  be  an  out- 
break of  cholera  or  anything  of  that  sort  this  year.  I 
will  say  that  I  think  the  idea  is  a  very  good  one,  and  that 
as  the  court-house  is  very  little  used,  you  had  better 
establish  yourself  there..  The  native  officers  who  hear 
what  we  say  will  spread  the  news.  I  den't  say  it  will  be 
believed,  but  at  least  it  will  serve  as  an  explanation." 

"  Yes,  I  think  that  that  will  be  a  very  good  plan, 
Major.  Two  of  the  men  who  act  as  hospital  orderlies  I 
can  certainly  depend  upon,  and  they  will  help  to  receive 
the  things  sent  in  from  the  bungalows,  and  will  hold 
their  tongues  as  to  what  is  being  done;  I  shall  leave  my 
tent  standing,  and  use  it  occasionally  as  before,  but  will 
make  the  court-house  my  headquarters.  How  are  we  off 
for  arms?" 


180  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

"There  are  five  cases  of  muskets  and  a  considerable 
stock  of  ammunition  in  that  small  magazine  in  the  lines; 
one  of  the  first  things  will  be  to  get  them  removed  to  the 
court-house.  We  have  already  arranged  to  do  that  to- 
night; it  will  give  us  four  or  five  muskets  apiece." 

"  Good,  Major;  I  will  load  them  all  myself  and  keep 
them  locked  up  in  a  room  upstairs  facing  the  gateway, 
and  should  there  be  any  trouble  I  fancy  I  could  give  a 
good  account  of  any  small  body  of  men  who  might  at- 
tempt to  make  an  entrance.  I  am  very  well  content  with 
my  position  as  Commandant  of  the  Hospital,  as  we  may 
call  it;  the  house  has  not  been  much  good  to  us  hitherto, 
but  I  suppose  when  it  was  bought  it  was  intended  to 
make  this  a  more  important  station;  it  is  fortunate  they 
did  buy  it  now,  for  we  can  certainly  turn  it  into  a  small 
fortress.  Still,  of  course,  I  cannot  disguise  from  myself 
that  though  we  might  get  on  successfully  for  a  time 
against  your  Sepoys,  there  is  no  hope  of  holding  it  long 
if  the  whole  country  rises." 

"I  quite  see  that,  Doctor,"  the  Major  said  gravely; 
"but  I  have  really  no  fear  of  that.  With  the  assistance 
of  the  Rajah  of  Bithoor,  Cawnpore  is  safe.  His  example 
is  almost  certain  to  be  followed  by  almost  all  the  other 
great  landowners.  No;  it  is  quite  bad  enough  that  we 
have  to  face  a  Sepoy  mutiny;  I  cannot  believe  that  we 
are  likely  to  have  a  general  rising  on  our  hands.  If  we 
do "  and  he  stopped. 

"  If  we  do  it  is  all  up  with  us,  Major;  there  is  no  dis- 
guising that.  However,  we  need  not  look  at  the  worst 
side  of  things.  Well,  I  will  go  with  you  to  the  orderly- 
room,  and  will  talk  with  you  about  the  hospital  scheme, 
mention  that  there  is  a  rumor  of  cholera,  and  so  on,  and 
ask  if  I  can't  have  a  part  of  the  court-house;  then  we 
can  walk  across  there  together,  and  see  what  arrangement 
had  best  be  made." 

The  following  day  brought  another  dispatch  from  the 
Colonel,  saving  that  the  rumors  as  to  Delhi  were  con- 
firmed. The  regiments  there  had  joined  the  Mcerut 
mutineers,  had  shot  down  their  officers,  and  murdered 
every  European  they  could  lay  hands  on;  that  three  offi- 
cers and  six  non-commissioned  officers,  who  were  in 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  181 

charge  of  the  arsenal,  had  defended  it  desperately,  and  had 
finally  blown  up  the  magazine  with  hundreds  of  its 
assailants.  Three  of  the  defenders  had  reached  Meerut 
with  the  news. 

Day  by  day  the  gloom  thickened.  The  native  regi- 
ments in  the  Punjaub  rose  as  soon  as  the  news  from 
Meerut  and  Delhi  reached  them,  but  there  were  white 
troops  there,  and  they  were  used  energetically  and 
promptly.  In  some  places  the  mutineers  were  disarmed 
before  they  broke  out  into  open  violence;  in  other  cases 
mutinous  regiments  were  promptly  attacked  and  scat- 
tered. Several  of  the  leading  chiefs  had  hastened  to 
assure  the  Government  of  their  fidelity,  and  had  placed 
their  troops  and  resources  at  its  disposal. 

But  in  the  Punjaub  alone  the  lookout  appeared  favor- 
able. In  the  Daob  a  mutiny  had  taken  place  at  four  of 
the  stations,  and  the  Sepoys  had  marched  away  to  Delhi, 
but  without  injuring  the  Europeans. 

After  this  for  a  week  there  was  quiet,  and  then  at 
places  widely  apart — at  Hansid  and  Hissar,  to  the  north- 
west of  Delhi;  at  Nusserabad,  in  the  center  of  Raj- 
pootana,  at  Bareilly,  and  other  stations  in  Rohilcund — 
the  Sepoys  rose,  and  in  most  places  massacre  was  added 
to  mutiny.  Then  three  regiments  of  the  Gwalior  con- 
tingent at  Neemuch  revolted.  Then  two  regiments 
broke  out  at  Jhansi,  and  the  whole  of  the  Europeans, 
after  desperately  defending  themselves  for  four  days,  sur- 
rendered on  promise  of  their  lives,  but  were  instantly 
murdered. 

But  before  the  news  of  the  Jhansi  massacre  reached 
Deennugghur  they  heard  of  other  risings  nearer  to  them. 
On  the  30th  of  May  the  three  native  regiments  at  Luck- 
now  rose,  but  were  sharply  repulsed  by  the  300  European 
troops  under  Sir  Henry  Lawrence.  At  Seetapoor  the 
Sepoys  rose  on  the  3d  of  June  and  massacred  all  the 
Europeans.  On  the  4th  the  Sepoys  at  Mohundee  imitated 
the  example  of  those  at  Seetapoor,  while  on  the  8th 
two  regiments  rose  at  Fyzabad,  in  the  southeastern  di- 
vision of  the  province,  and  massacred  all  the  Europeans. 

Up  to  this  time  the  news  from  Cawnpore  had  still 
been  good.  The  Rajah  of  Bithoor  had  offered  Sir  Hugh 


182  RUJVB,   THE  JUGGLER. 

Wheeler  a  re-enforcement  of  two  guns  and  300  men,  and 
it  was  believed  that,  seeing  this  powerful  and  influential 
chief  had  thrown  his  weight  into  the  scale  on  the  side 
of  the  British,  the  four  regiments  of  native  troops  would 
remain  quiet. 

Sir  Hugh  had  but  a  handful  of  Europeans  with  him, 
but  had  just  received  a  re-enforcement  of  fifty  men  of  the 
32d  regiment  from  Lucknow,  and  he  had  formed  an  in- 
trenchment  within  which  the  Europeans  of  the  station, 
and  the  fugitives  who  had  come  in  from  the  districts 
around,  could  take  refuge. 

Several  communications  passed  between  Sir  Hugh 
Wheeler  and  Major  Hannay.  The  latter  had  been  offered 
the  choice  of  moving  into  Cawnpore  with  his  wing  of  the 
regiment,  or  remaining  at  Deennugghur.  He  had  chosen 
the  latter  alternative,  pointing  out  that  he  still  believed 
in  the  fidelity  of  the  troops  with  him;  but  that  if  they 
went  to  Cawnpore  they  would  doubtless  be  carried  away 
with  other  regiments,  and  would  only  swell  the  force  of 
mutineers  there.  He  was  assured,  at  any  rate,  they  would 
not  rise  unless  their  comrades  at  Cawnpore  did  so,  but 
that  it  was  best  to  manifest  confidence  in  them,  as  not 
improbably,  did  they  hear  that  they  were  ordered  back 
to  Cawnpore,  they  might  take  it  as  a  slur  on  their  fidelity, 
and  mutiny  at  once. 

The  month  had  been  one  of  intense  anxiety.  Grad- 
ually stores  of  provisions  had  been  conveyed  into  the 
hospital,  as  it  was  now  called;  the  well  inside  the  yard 
had  been  put  into  working  order,  and  the  residents  had 
sent  in  stores  of  bedding  and  such  portable  valuables  as 
could  be  removed. 

In  but  few  cases  had  the  outbreaks  taken  place  at 
night,  the  mutineers  almost  always  breaking  out  either 
upon  being  ordered  to  parade  or  upon  actually  falling  in; 
still,  it  was  by  no  means  certain  when  a  crisis  might 
come,  and  the  Europeans  all  lay  down  to  rest  in  their 
clothes,  one  person  in  each  house  remaining  up  all  night 
on  watch,  so  that  at  the  first  alaTin  all  might  hurry  to 
the  shelter  of  the  hospital. 

Its  position  was  a  strong  one — a  lofty  wall  inclosing  a 
courtyard  and  garden  surrounding  it.  This  completely 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER.  183 

sheltered  the  lower  floor  from  fire;  the  windows  of  the 
upper  floor  were  above  the  level  of  the  wall,  and  com- 
manded a  view  over  the  country,  while  round  the  flat- 
terraced  roof  ran  a  parapet  some  two  feet  high. 

During  the  day  the  ladies  of  the  station  generally 
gathered  at  Mr.  Hunter's,  which  was  the  bungalow  near- 
est to  the  hospital.  Here  they  worked  at  the  bags  in- 
tended to  hold  earth,  and  kept  up  each  other's  spirits  as 
well  as  they  could.  Although  all  looked  pale  and  worn 
from  anxiety  and  watching,  there  were,  after  the  first 
few  days,  no  manifestations  of  fear.  Occasionally  a  tear 
would  drop  over  their  work,  especially  in  the  case  of  two 
of  the  wives  of  civilians,  whose  children  were  in  England; 
but  as  a  whole  their  conversation  was  cheerful,  each  try- 
ing her  best  to  keep  up  the  spirits  of  the  others.  Gen- 
erally, as  soon  as  the  meeting  was  complete,  Mrs.  Hunter 
read  aloud  one  of  the  psalms  suited  to  their  position  and 
the  prayers  for  those  in  danger,  then  the  work  was  got 
out  and  the  needles  applied  briskly.  Even  Mrs.  Rintoul 
showed  a  fortitude  and  courage  that  would  not  have  been 
expected  from  her. 

"  One  never  knows  people/'  Mrs.  Doolan  said  to  Isobel, 
as  they  walked  back  from  one  of  these  meetings,  "  as 
long  as  one  only  sees  them  under  ordinary  circumstances. 
I  have  never  had  any  patience  with  Mrs.  Eintoul,  with 
her  constant  complaining  and  imaginary  ailments.  Now 
that  there  is  really  something  to  complain  about,  she  is 
positively  one  of  the  calmest  and  most  cheerful  among 
us.  It  is  curious,  is  it  not,  how  our  talk  always  turns 
upon  home?  India  is  hardly  eve?  mentioned.  We 
might  be  a  party  of  intimate  friends,  sitting  in  some 
quiet  country  place,  talking  of  our  girlhood.  Why,  we 
have  learnt  more  of  each  other  and  each  other's  history 
in  the  last  fortnight  than  we  should  have  done  if  we  had 
lived  here  together  for  twenty  years  under  ordinary  cir- 
cumstances. Except  as  to  your  little  brother,  I  think 
you  are  the  only  one,  Isobel,  who  has  not  talked  much 
of  home." 

"I  suppose  it  is  because  my  home  was  not  a  very 
happy  one,"  Isobel  said. 

**  I  notice  that  all  the  talk  is  about  happy  scenes,  noth- 


184  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

ing  is  ever  said  about  disagreeables.  I  suppose,  my  dear, 
it  is  just  as  I  have  heard,  that  starving  people  talk  about 
the  feasts  they  have  eaten,  so  we  talk  of  the  pleasant 
times  we  have  had.  It  is  the  contrast  that  makes  them 
dearer.  It  is  funny,  too,  if  anything  can  be  funny  in 
these  days,  how  different  we  are  in  the  evening,  when  we 
have  the  men  with  us,  to  what  we  are  when  we  are 
together  alone  in  the  day.  Another  curious  thing  is  that 
our  trouble  seems  to  make  us  more  like  each  other.  Of 
course  we  are  not  more  like,  but  we  all  somehow  take  the 
same  tone,  and  seem  to  have  given  up  our  own  particular 
ways  and  fancies. 

"  Now  the  men  don't  seem  like  that.  Mr.  Hunter,  for 
example,  whom  I  used  to  think  an  even-tempered  and 
easy-going  sort  of  man,  has  become  fidgety  and  queru- 
lous. The  Major  is  even  more  genial  and  kind  than 
usual.  The  Doctor  snaps  and  snarls  at  everyone  and 
everything.  Anyone  listening  to  my  husband  would  say 
that  he  was  in  the  wildest  spirits.  Eintoul  is  quieter 
than  usual,  and  the  two  lads  have  grown  older  and  nicer; 
I  don't  say  they  are  less  full  of  fun  than  they  were, 
especially  Wilson,  but  they  are  less  boyish  in  their  fun, 
and  they  are  nice  with  everyone,  instead  of  devoting 
themselves  to  two  or  three  of  us,  you  principally.  Per- 
haps Eichards  is  the  most  changed;  he  thinks  less  of  his 
collars  and  ties  and  the  polish  of  his  boots  than  he  used 
to  do,  and  one  sees  that  he  has  some  ideas  in  his  head 
besides  those  about  horses.  Captain  Forster  is,  perhaps, 
least  changed,  but  of  that  you  can  judge  better  than  I 
can,  for  you  see  more  of  him.  As  to  Mr.  Bathurst,  I  can 
say  nothing,  for  we  never  see  him  now.  I  think  he  is 
the  only  man  in  the  station  who  goes  about  his  work  as 
usual;  he  starts  away  the  first  thing  in  the  morning, 
and  comes  back  late  in  the  evening,  and  I  suppose  spends 
the  night  in  writing  reports,  though  what  is  the  use  of 
•writing  reports  at  the  present  time  I  don't  know.  Mr. 
Hunter  was  saying  last  night  it  was  very  foolish  of  him. 
What  with  disbanded  soldiers,  and  what  with  parties  of 
mutineers,  it  is  most  dangerous  for  any  European  to  stir 
outside  the  station." 

"Uncle   was   saying  the  same,"   Isobel   said  quietly. 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER.  185 

"Well,  here  we  separate.  Of  course  you  will  be  in  as 
usual  this  evening?  "  for  the  Major's  house  was  the  gen- 
eral rendezvous  after  dinner. 

Isobel  had  her  private  troubles,  although,  as  she  often 
said  angrily  to  herself,  when  she  thought  of  them,  what 
did  it  matter  now?  She  was  discontented  with  herself 
for  having  spoken  as  strongly  as  she  did  as  to  the  man's 
cowardice.  She  was  very  discontented  with  the  Doctor 
for  having  repeated  it.  She  was  angry  with  Bathurst 
for  staying  away  altogether,  although  willing  to  admit 
that,  after  he  knew  what  she  had  said,  it  was  impossible 
that  he  should  meet  her  as  before.  Most  of  all,  perhaps, 
she  was  angry  because,  at  a  time  when  their  lives  were 
all  in  deadly  peril,  she  should  allow  the  matter  to  dwell 
in  her  mind  a  single  moment. 

Late  one  afternoon  Bathurst  walked  into  the  Major's 
bungalow  just  as  he  was  about  to  sit  down  to  dinner. 

"  Major,  I  want  to  speak  to  you  for  a  moment,"  he 
said. 

"  Sit  down  and  have  some  dinner,  Bathurst.  You  have 
become  altogether  a  stranger." 

"  Thank  you,  Major,  but  I  have  a  great  deal  to  do. 
Can  you  spare  me  five  minutes  now?  It  is  of  im- 
portance." 

Isobel  rose  to  leave  the  room. 

"  There  is  no  reason  you  should  not  hear,  Miss  Han- 
nay,  but  it  would  be  better  that  none  of  the  servants 
should  be  present.  That  is  why  I  wish  to  speak  before 
your  uncle  goes  in  to  dinner." 

Isobel  sat  down  with  an  air  of  indifference. 

"  For  the  last  week,  Major,  I  have  ridden  every  day 
five  and  twenty  to  thirty  miles  in  the  direction  of  Cawn- 
pore;  my  official  work  has  been  practically  at  an  end 
since  we  heard  the  news  from  Meerut.  I  could  be  of  no 
use  here,  and  thought  that  I  could  do  no  better  service 
than  trying  to  obtain  the  earliest  news  from  Cawnpore; 
I  am  sorry  to  say  that  this  afternoon  I  distinctly  heard 
firing  in  that  direction.  What  the  result  is,  of  course,  I 
do  not  know,  but  I  feel  that  there  is  little  doubt  that 
troubles  have  begun  there.  But  this  is  not  all.  On  my 
return  home,  ten  minutes  ago,  I  found  this  letter  on  my 


186  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

dressing-table.  It  had  no  direction,  and  is,  as  you  see, 
in  Hindustanee,"  and  he  handed  it  to  the  Major,  who 
read:  "  To  the  Sahib  Bathurst, — Eising  at  Cawnpore 
to-day.  Nana  Sahib  and  his  troops  will  join  the  Sepoys. 
Whites  will  be  destroyed.  Rising  at  Deennugghur  at 
daylight  to-morrow.  Troops,  after  killing  whites,  will 
join  those  at  Cawnpore.  Be  warned  in  time — this  tiger 
is  not  to  be  beaten  off  with  a  whip." 

"  Good  Heavens! "  the  Major  exclaimed;  "  can  this  be 
true?  Can  it  be  possible  that  the  Rajah  of  Bithoor  is  go- 
ing to  join  the  mutineers?  It  is  impossible;  he  could 
never  be  such  a  scoundrel." 

"  What  is  it,  uncle? "  Isobel  asked,  leaving  her  seat 
and  coming  up  to  him. 

The  Major  translated  the  letter. 

"  It  must  be  a  hoax,"  he  went  on;  ''  I  cannot  believe 
it.  What  does  this  stuff  about  beating  a  tiger  with  a 
whip  mean?" 

"  I  am  sorry  to  say,  Major  Hannay,  that  part  of  the 
letter  convinces  me  that  the  contents  can  be  implicitly 
relied  upon.  The  writer  did  not  dare  sign  his  name,  but 
those  words  are  sufficient  to  show  me,  and  were  no  doubt 
intended  to  show  me,  who  the  warning  comes  from.  It 
is  from  that  juggler  who  performed  here  some  six  weeks 
ago.  Traveling  about  as  he  does,  and  putting  aside  alto- 
gether those  strange  powers  of  his,  he  has  no  doubt  the 
means  of  knowing  what  is  going  on.  As  I  told  you  that 
night,  I  had  done  him  some  slight  service,  and  he 
promised  at  the  time  that,  if  the  occasion  should  ever 
arise,  he  would  risk  his  life  to  save  mine.  The  fact  that 
he  showed,  I  have  no  doubt,  especially  to  please  me,  feats 
that  few  Europeans  have  seen  before,  is,  to  my  mind, 
a  proof  of  his  good-will  and  that  he  meant  what  he  said." 

"  But  how  do  you  know  that  it  is  from  him,  Bathurst? 
You  will  excuse  my  pressing  the  question,  but  of  course 
everything  depends  on  my  being  assured  that  this  com- 
munication is  trustworthy." 

"  This  allusion  to  the  tiger  shows  me  that,  Major.  It 
alludes  to  an  incident  that  I  believe  to  be  known  only  to 
him  and  his  daughter  and  to  Dr.  Wade,  to  whom  alone  I 
mentioned  it." 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  187 

As  the  Major  still  looked  inquiringly,  Bathurst  went 
on  reluctantly.  "It  was  a  trifling  affair,  Major,  the  re- 
sult of  a  passing  impulse.  I  was  riding  home  from  Nar- 
keet,  and  while  coming  along  the  road  through  the  jun- 
gle, which  was  at  that  time  almost  deserted  by  the  natives 
on  account  of  the  ravages  of  the  man-eater  whom  the 
Doctor  afterwards  shot,  I  heard  a  scream.  Galloping 
forward,  I  came  upon  the  brute,  standing  with  one  paw 
upon  a  prostrate  girl,  while  a  man,  the  juggler,  was 
standing  frantically  waving  his  arms.  On  the  impulse  of 
the  moment  I  sprang  from  my  horse  and  lashed  the 
tiger  across  the  head  with  that  heavy  dog-whip  I  carry, 
and  the  brute  was  so  astonished  that  it  bolted  in  the 
jungle. 

"  That  was  the  beginning  and  end  of  affairs,  except 
that,  although  fortunately  the  girl  was  practically  un- 
hurt, she  was  so  unnerved  that  we  had  to  carry  her  to 
the  next  village,  where  she  lay  for  some  time  ill  from  the 
shock  and  fright.  After  that  they  came  round  here 
and  performed,  for  my  amusement,  the  feats  I  told  you 
of.  So  you  see  I  have  every  reason  to  believe  in  the  good 
faith  of  the  writer  of  this  letter." 

"  By  Jove,  I  should  think  you  had! "  the  Major  said. 
"  Why,  my  dear  Bathurst,  I  had  no  idea  that  you  could 
do  such  a  thing! " 

"  We  have  all  our  strong  points  and  our  weak  ones, 
Major.  That  was  one  of  my  strong  ones,  I  suppose.  And 
now  what  had  best  be  done,  sir?  That  is  the  important 
question  at  present." 

This  was  so  evident,  that  Major  Hannay  at  once  dis- 
missed all  other  thoughts  from  his  mind. 

"  Of  course  I  and  the  other  officers  must  remain  at 
our  posts  until  the  Sepoys  actually  arrive.  The  question 
is  as  to  the  others.  Now  that  we  know  the  worst,  or  be- 
lieve we  know  it,  ought  we  to  send  the  women  and  chil- 
dren away?  " 

"  That  is  the  question,  sir.  But  where  can  they  be 
sent?  Lucknow  is  besieged;  the  whites  at  Cawnpore 
must  have  been  surrounded  by  this  time;  the  bands  of 
mutineers  are  ranging  the  whole  country,  and  at  the 
news  that  Nina  Sahib  has  joined  the  rebels  it  is  probable 


188  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

that  all  will  rise.  I  should  say  that  it  was  a  matter  in 
which  Mr.  Hunter  and  other  civilians  had  better  be  con- 
sulted." 

"  Yes,  we  will  hold  a  council,"  the  Major  said. 

"  I  think,  Major,  it  should  be  done  quietly.  It  is  prob- 
able that  many  of  the  servants  may  know  of  the  inten- 
tions of  the  Sepoys,  and  if  they  see  that  anything  like  a 
council  of  the  Europeans  was  being  held  they  may  take 
the  news  to  the  Sepoys,  and  the  latter,  thinking  that 
their  intention  is  known,  may  rise  at  once/' 

"  That  is  quite  true.  Yes,  we  must  do  nothing  to 
arouse  suspicion.  What  do  you  propose,  Mr.  Bathurst?  " 

"  I  will  go  and  have  a  talk  with  the  Doctor;  he  can  go 
round  to  the  other  officers  one  by  one.  I  will  tell  Mr. 
Hunter,  and  he  will  tell  the  other  residents,  so  that  when 
they  meet  here  in  the  evening  no  explanations  will 
be  needed,  and  a  very  few  words  as  we  sit  out  on  the 
veranda  will  be  sufficient." 

"  That  will  be  a  very  good  plan.  We  will  sit  down  to 
dinner  as  if  nothing  had  happened;  if  they  are  watching 
at  all,  they  will  be  keeping  their  eyes  on  us  then." 

"  Very  well;  I  will  be  in  by  nine  o'clock,  Major;"  and 
with  a  slight  bow  to  Isobel,  Bathurst  stepped  out  through 
the  open  window,  and  made  his  way  to  the  Doctor's. 


CHAPTEE  XIII. 

THE  Doctor  had  just  sat  down  to  dinner  when  Bath- 
urst came  in.  The  two  subalterns  were  dining  with  him. 

"  That's  good,  Bathurst,"  the  Doctor  said,  as  he  en- 
tered. "  Boy,  put  a  chair  for  Mr.  Bathurst.  I  had  begun 
to  think  that  you  had  deserted  me  as  well  as  everybody 
else." 

"  I  was  not  thinking  of  dining,"  Bathurst  said,  as  he 
sat  down,  "  but  I  will  do  so  with  pleasure,  though  I  told 
my  man  I  should  be  back  in  half  an  hour;"  and  as  the 
servant  left  the  room  he  added,  "  I  have  much  to  say, 
Doctor;  get  through  dinner  as  quickly  as  you  can,  and 
get  the  servants  out  of  the  tent." 

The  conversation  was  at  once  turned  by  the  Doctor 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  189 

upon  snooting  and  hunting,  and  no  allusion  was  made 
to  passing  events  until  coffee  was  put  on  the  table  and 
the  servant  retired.  The  talk,  which  had  been  lively 
during  dinner,  then  ceased. 

"  Well,  Bathurst,"  the  Doctor  asked,  "  I  suppose  you 
have  something  serious  to  tell  me?  " 

"  Very  serious,  Doctor;"  and  he  repeated  the  news  he 
had  given  the  Major. 

"  It  could  not  be  worse,  Bathurst/'  the  Doctor  said 
quietly,  after  the  first  shock  of  the  news  had  passed. 
"  You  know  I  never  had  any  faith  in  the  Sepoys  since  I 
saw  how  this  madness  was  spreading  from  station  to  sta- 
tion. This  sort  of  thing  is  contagious.  It  becomes  a 
sort  of  epidemic,  and  in  spite  of  the  assurances  of  the 
men  I  felt  sure  they  would  go.  But  this  scoundrel  of 
Bithoor  turning  against  us  is  more  than  I  bargained  for. 
There  is  no  disguising  the  fact  that  it  means  a  general 
rising  through  Oude,  and  in  that  case  God  help  the 
women  and  children.  As  for  us,  it  all  comes  in  the  line 
of  business.  What  does  the  Major  say?" 

"  The  only  question  that  seemed  to  him  to  be  open  was 
whether  the  women  and  children  could  be  got  away." 

"  But  there  does  not  seem  any  possible  place  for  them 
to  go  to.  One  or  two  might  travel  down  the  country  in 
disguise,  but  that  is  out  of  the  question  for  a.large  party. 
There  is  no  refuge  nearer  than  Allahabad.  With  every 
man's  hand  against  them,  I  see  not  the  slightest  chance 
of  a  party  making  their  way  down." 

"  You  or  I  might  do  it  easily  enough,  Doctor,  but  for 
women  it  seems  to  me  out  of  the  question;  still,  that  is  a 
matter  for  each  married  man  to  decide  for  himself.  The 
prospect  is  dark  enough  anyway,  but,  as  before,  it  seems 
to  me  that  everything  really  depends  upon  the  Zemindars. 
If  we  hold  the  court-house  it  is  possible  the  Sepoys  may 
be  beaten  off  in  their  first  attack,  and  in  their  impatience 
to  join  the  mutineers,  who  are  all  apparently  marching 
for  Delhi,  they  may  go  off  without  throwing  away  their 
lives  by  attacking  us,  for  they  must  see  they  will  not  be 
able  to  take  the  place  without  cannon.  But  if  the 
Zemindars  join  them  with  cannon,  we  may  defend  our- 
selves till  the  last,  but  there  can  be  but  one  end  to  it." 


190  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER 

The  Doctor  nodded.  "  That  is  the  situation  exactly, 
Bathurst." 

"  I  am  glad  we  know  the  danger,  and  shall  be  able  to 
face  it  openly,"  Wilson  said.  "  For  the  last  month  Rich- 
ards and  I  have  been  keeping  watch  alternately,  and  it 
has  been  beastly  funky  work  sitting  with  one's  pistols  on 
the  table  before  one,  listening,  and  knowing  any  moment 
there  might  be  a  yell,  and  these  brown  devils  come  pour- 
ing in.  Now,  at  least,  we  are  likely  to  have  a  fight  for 
it,  and  to  know  that  some  of  them  will  go  down  before 
we  do." 

Eichards  cordially  agreed  with  his  companion. 

"Well,  now,  what  are  the  orders,  Bathurst?"  said  the 
Doctor. 

"  There  are  no  orders  as  yet,  Doctor.  The  Major  says 
you  will  go  round  to  the  others,  Doolan,  Rintoul,  and 
Forster,  and  tell  them.  I  am  to  go  round  to  Hunter  and 
the  other  civilians.  Then,  this  evening  we  are  to  meet 
at  nine  o'clock,  as  usual,  at  the  Major's.  If  the  others 
decide  that  the  only  plan  is  for  all  to  stop  here  and  fight 
it  out,  there  will  be  no  occasion  for  anything  like  a  coun- 
cil; it  will  only  have  to  be  arranged  at  what  time  we  all 
move  into  the  fort,  and  the  best  means  for  keeping  the 
news  from  spreading  to  the  Sepoys.  Not  that  it  will 
make  much  difference  after  they  have  once  fairly  turned 
in.  If  there  is  one  thing  a  Hindoo  hates  more  than 
another,  it  is  getting  from  under  his  blankets  when  he 
has  once  got  himself  warm  at  night.  Even  if  they  heard 
at  one  or  two  o'clock  in  the  morning  that  we  were  mov- 
ing into  the  fort  I  don't  think  they  would  turn  out 
till  morning." 

"  No,  I  am  sure  they  would  not,"  the  Doctor  agreed. 

"If  there  were  a  few  more  of  us,"  Richards  said,  "I 
should  vote  for  our  beginning  it.  If  we  were  to  fall 
suddenly  upon  them  we  might  kill  a  lot  and  scare  the 
rest  off." 

"  We  are  too  few  for  that,"  the  Doctor  said.  "  Be- 
sides, although  Bathurst  answers  for  the  good  faith  of 
the  sender  of  the  warning,  there  has  as  yet  been  no  act 
of  munity  that  would  justify  our  taking  such  a  step  as 
that.  It  would  come  to  the  same  thing.  We  might  kill 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER.  191 

a  good  many,  but  in  the  long  run  three  hundred  men 
would  be  more  than  a  match  for  a  dozen,  and  then  the 
women  would  be  at  their  mercy.  Well,  we  had  better  be 
moving,  or  we  shall  not  have  time  to  go  round  to  the 
bungalows  before  the  people  set  out  for  the  Major's." 

It  was  a  painful  mission  that  Bathurst  had  to  perform, 
for  he  had  to  tell  those  he  called  upon  that  almost  certain 
death  was  at  hand,  but  the  news  was  everywhere  received 
calmly.  The  strain  had  of  late  been  so  grer.t,  that  the 
news  that  the  crisis  was  at  hand  was  almost  welcome. 
He  did  not  stay  long  anywhere,  but,  after  setting  the 
alternative  before  them,  left  husband  and  wife  to  dis- 
cuss whether  to  try  to  make  down  to  Allahabad  or  to 
take  refuge  in  the  fort. 

Soon  after  nine  o'clock  all  were  at  Major  Hannay's. 
There  were  pale  faces  among  them,  but  no  stranger  would 
have  supposed  that  the  whole  party  had  just  received 
news  which  was  virtually  a  death  warrant.  The  ladies 
talked  together  as  usual,  while  the  men  moved  in  and 
out  of  the  room,  sometimes  talking  vith  the  Major,  some- 
times sitting  down  for  a  few  minutes  is  +he  veranda  out- 
side, or  talking  there  in  low  tones  together. 

The  Major  moved  about  among  them,  and  soon  learned 
that  all  had  resolved  to  stay  and  meet  together  whatever 
came,  preferring  that  to  the  hardships  and  unknown 
dangers  of  flight. 

"  I  am  glad  you  have  all  decided  so,"  he  said  quietly. 
"  In  the  state  the  country  is,  the  chances  of  getting  to 
Allahabad  are  next  to  nothing.  Here  we  may  hold  out 
till  Lawrence  restores  order  at  Lucknow,  and  then  he 
may  be  able  to  send  a  party  to  bring  us  in.  Or  the  muti- 
neers may  draw  off  and  march  to  Delhi.  I  certainly 
think  the  chances  are  best  here;  besides,  every  rifle  we 
have  is  of  importance,  and  though  if  any  of  you  had 
made  up  your  minds  to  try  and  escape  I  should  have 
made  no  objection,  I  am  glad  that  we  shall  all  stand 
together  here." 

The  arrangements  wore  then  briefly  made  for  the  re- 
moval to  the  court-house.  All  were  to  go  back  and  ap- 
parently to  retire  to  bed  as  usual.  At  twelve  o'clock  the 
men,  armed,  were  to  call  up  their  servants,  load  them  up 


192  RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER. 

with  such  things  as  were  most  required,  and  proceed 
with  them,  the  women,  and  children,  at  once  to  the  court- 
house. Half  the  men  were  to  remain  there  on  guard, 
while  the  others  would  continue  with  the  servants  to 
make  journeys  backwards  and  forwards  to  the  bungalows, 
bringing  in  as  much  as  could  be  carried,  the  guard  to 
be  changed  every  hour.  In  the  morning  the  servants 
were  all  to  have  the  choice  given  them  of  remaining  with 
their  masters  or  leaving. 

Captain  Forster  was  the  only  dissentient.  He  was  in 
favor  of  the  whole  party  mounting,  placing  the  women 
and  children  in  carriages,  and  making  off  in  a  body, 
fighting  their  way  if  necessary  down  to  Allahabad.  He 
admitted  that,  in  addition  to  the  hundred  troopers  of  his 
own  squadron,  they  might  be  cut  off  by  the  mutinous 
cavalry  from  Cawnpore,  fall  in  with  bodies  of  rebels  or 
be  attacked  by  villagers,  but  he  maintained  that  there 
was  at  least  some  chance  of  cutting  their  way  through, 
while,  once  shut  up  in  the  court-house,  escape  would  be 
well-nigh  impossible. 

"But  you  all  along  agreed  to  our  holding  the  court- 
house, Forster,"  the  Major  said. 

"  Yes;  but  then  I  reckoned  upon  Cawnpore  holding  out 
with  the  assistance  of  Nana  Sahib,  and  upon  the  country 
remaining  quiet.  Now  the  whole  thing  is  changed.  I  am 
quite  ready  to  fight  in  the  open,  and  to  take  my  chance 
of  being  killed  there,  but  I  protest  against  being  shut  up 
like  a  rat  in  a  hole." 

To  the  rest,  however,  the  proposal  appeared  desperate. 
There  would  be  no  withstanding  a  single  charge  of  the 
well-trained  troopers,  especially  as  it  would  be  necessary 
to  guard  the  vehicles.  Had  it  not  been  for  that,  the  small 
body  of  men  might  possibly  have  cut  their  way  through 
the  cavalry;  but  even  then  they  would  be  so  hotly  pur- 
sued that  the  most  of  them  would  assuredly  be  hunted 
down.  But  encumbered  by  the  women  such  an  enterprise 
seemed  utterly  hopeless,  and  the  whole  of  the  others 
were  unanimously  against  it. 

The  party  broke  up  very  early.  The  strain  of  main- 
taining their  ordinary  demeanor  was  too  great  to  be 
long  endured,  and  the  ladies  with  children  were  anxious 


RTJJVB,  THE  JUGGLER.  193 

to  return  as  soon  as  possible  to  them,  lest  at  the  last 
moment  the  Sepoys  should  have  made  some  change  in 
their  arrangements.  By  ten  o'clock  the  whole  party  had 
left. 

The  two  subalterns  had  no  preparations  to  make;  they 
had  already  sent  most  of  their  things  into  the  hospital; 
and,  lighting  their  pipes,  they  sat  down  and  talked  quietly 
till  midnight;  then,  placing  their  pistols  in  their  belts 
and  wrapping  themselves  in  their  cloaks,  they  went  into 
the  Doctor's  tent,  which  was  next  to  theirs. 

The  Doctor  at  once  roused  his  servant,  who  was  sleep- 
ing in  a  shelter-tent  pitched  by  the  side  of  his.  The  man 
came  in  looking  surprised  at  being  called.  "  Koshun," 
the  Doctor  said,  "  you  have  been  with  me  ten  years,  and 
I  believe  you  to  be  faithful." 

"  I  would  lay  down  my  life  for  the  sahib,"  the  man 
saii  quietly. 

You  have  heard  nothing  of  any  trouble  with  the 
Sepoys?" 

"  No,  sahib;  they  know  that  Eoshun  is  faithful  to  his 
master." 

"  We  have  news  that  they  are  going  to  rise  in  the 
morning  and  kill  all  Europeans,  so  we  are  going  to  move 
at  once  into  the  hospital." 

"Good,  sahib;  what  will  you  take  with  you?" 

"  My  books  and  papers  have  all  gone  in,"  the  Doctor 
said;  "  that  portmanteau  may  as  well  go.  I  will  carry 
these  two  rifles  myself;  the  ammunition  is  all  there  ex- 
cept that  bag  in  the  corner,  which  I  will  sling  round  my 
shoulder." 

"  What  are  in  those  two  cases,  Doctor?  "  Wilson  asked. 

"Brandy,  lad." 

"We  may  as  well  each  carry  one  of  those,  Doctor,  if 
your  boy  takes  the  portmanteau.  It  would  be  a  pity  to 
leave  good  liquor  to  be  wasted  by  those  brutes." 

"  I  agree  with  you,  Wilson;  besides,  the  less  liquor 
they  get  hold  of  the  better  for  us.  Now,  if  you  are  all 
ready,  we  will  start;  but  we  must  move  quietly,  or  the 
sentry  at  the  quarter  guard  may  hear  us." 

Ten  minutes  later  they  reached  the  hospital,  being 
the  last  of  the  party  to  arrive  there. 


194  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

* 

"  Now,  Major,"  the  Doctor  said  cheerily,  as  soon  as 
he  entered,  "  as  this  place  is  supposed  to  be  under  my 
special  charge  I  will  take  command  for  the  present. 
Wilson  and  Kichards  will  act  as  my  lieutenants.  We 
have  nothing  to  do  outside,  and  can  devote  ourselves  to 
getting  things  a  little  straight  here.  The  first  thing  to 
do  is  to  light  lamps  in  all  the  lower  rooms;  then  we  can 
see  what  we  are  doing,  and  the  ladies  will  be  able  to  give 
us  their  help,  while  the  men  go  out  with  the  servants  to 
bring  things  in;  and  remember  the  first  thing  to  do  is  to 
bring  in  the  horses.  They  may  be  useful  to  us.  There 
is  a  good  store  of  forage  piled  in  the  corner  of  the  yard, 
but  the  syces  had  best  bring  in  as  much  more  as  they  can 
carry.  Now,  ladies,  if  you  will  all  bring  your  bundles 
inside  the  house  we  will  set  about  arranging  things,  and 
at  any  rate  get  the  children  into  bed  as  quickly  as 
possible." 

As  it  had  been  already  settled  as  to  the  rooms  to  be 
occupied,  the  ladies  and  their  ayahs  set  to  work  at  once, 
glad  to  have  something  to  employ  them.  One  of  the  rooms 
which  had  been  fitted  up  with  beds  had  been  devoted  to 
the  purposes  of  a  nursery,  and  the  children,  most  of 
whom  were  still  asleep,  were  soon  settled  there.  Two 
other  rooms  had  been  fitted  up  for  the  use  of  the  ladies, 
while  the  men  were  occupying  two  others,  the  courtroom 
being  turned  into  a  general  meeting  and  dining  room. 

At  first  there  was  not  much  to  do;  but  as  the  servants, 
closely  watched  by  their  masters,  went  backwards  and 
forwards  bringing  in  goods  of  all  kinds,  there  was  plenty 
of  employment  in  carrying  them  down  to  a  large  under- 
ground room,  where  they  were  left  to  be  sorted  later  on. 

The  Doctor  had  appointed  Isobel  Hannay  and  the  two 
Miss  Hunters  to  the  work  of  lighting  a  fire  and  getting 
boiling  water  ready,  and  a  plentiful  supply  of  coffee  was 
presently  made,  Wilson  and  Richards  drawing  the  water, 
carrying  the  heavier  loads  downstairs,  and  making  them- 
selves generally  useful. 

Captain  Forster  had  not  come  in.  He  had  undertaken 
to  remain  in  his  tent  in  the  lines,  where  he  had  quietly 
saddled  and  unpicketed  his  horse,  tying  it  up  to  the  tent 
ropes  so  that  he  could  mount  in  an  instant.  He  still  be- 


RVJLB,   THE  JUGGLER.  19^. 

lieved  that  his  ©wn  men  would  stand  firm,  and  declared 
he  would  at  their  head  charge  the  mutinous  infantry, 
while  if  they  joined  the  mutineers  he  would  ride  into  the 
fort.  It  was  also  arranged  that  he  should  bring  in  word 
should  the  Sepoys  obtain  news  of  what  was  going  on  and 
rise  before  morning. 

All  felt  better  and  more  cheerful  after  having  taken 
some  coffee. 

"It  is  difficult  to  believe,  Miss  Hannay,"  Richards 
said,  "  that  this  is  all  real,  and  not  a  sort  of  picnic,  or  an 
early  start  on  a  hunting  expedition." 

"  It  is  indeed,  Mr.  Richards.  I  can  hardly  believe  even 
now  that  it  is  all  true,  and  have  pinched  myself  two  or 
three  times  to  make  sure  that  I  am  awake." 

"If  the  villains  venture  to  attack  us,"  Wilson  said, 
"  I  feel  sure  we  shall  beat  them  off  handsomely." 

"  I  have  no  doubt  we  shall,  Mr.  Wilson,  especially  as 
it  will  be  in  daylight.  You  know  you  and  Mr.  Richards 
are  not  famous  for  night  shooting." 

The  young  men  both  laughed. 

'*  We  shall  never  hear  the  last  of  that  tiger  story,  Miss 
Hannay.  I  can  tell  you  it  is  no  joke  shooting  when  you 
have  been  sitting  cramped  up  on  a  tree  for  about  six 
hours.  We  are  really  both  pretty  good  shots.  Of  course, 
I  don't  mean  like  the  Doctor;  but  we  always  make  good 
scores  with  the  targets.  Come,  Richards,  here  is  another 
lot  of  things;  if  they  go  on  at  this  rate  the  Sepoys  won't 
find  much  to  loot  in  the  bungalows  to-morrow." 

Just  as  daylight  was  breaking  the  servants  were  all 
called  together,  and  given  the  choice  of  staying  or  leav- 
ing. Only  some  eight  or  ten,  all  of  whom  belonged  to 
the  neighborhood,  chose  to  go  off  to  their  villages.  The 
rest  declared  they  would  stay  with  their  masters. 

Two  of  the  party  by  turns  had  been  on  watch  all  night 
on  the  terrace  to  listen  for  any  sound  of  tumult  in  the 
lines,  but  all  had  gone  on  quietly.  Bathurst  had  been 
working  with  the  others  all  night,  and  after  seeing  that 
all  his  papers  were  carried  to  the  court-house,  he  had 
troubled  but  little  about  his  own  belongings,  but  had 
assisted  the  others  in  bringing  in  their  goods. 

At  daylight  the  Major  and  his  officers  mounted  and 


196  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

rode  quietly  down  towards  the  parade  ground.  Bathurst 
and  Mr.  Hunter,  with  several  of  the  servants,  took  their 
places  at  the  gates,  in  readiness  to  open  and  close  them 
quickly,  while  the  Doctor  and  the  other  Europeans  went 
up  to  the  roof,  where  they  placed  in  readiness  six  muskets 
for  each  man,  from  the  store  in  the  court-house.  Isobel 
Hannay  and  the  wives  of  the  two  Captains  were  too  anx- 
ious to  remain  below,  and  went  up  to  the  roof  also.  The 
Doctor  took  his  place  by  them,  examining  the  lines  with 
a  field-glass. 

The  officers  halted  when  they  reached  the  parade 
ground,  and  sat  on  their  horses  in  a  group,  waiting  for 
the  men  to  turn  out  as  usual. 

"There  goes  the  assembly,"  the  Doctor  said,  as  the 
notes  of  the  bugle  came  to  their  ears.  "  The  men  are 
turning  out  of  their  tents.  There,  I  can  make  out 
Forster;  he  has  just  mounted;  a  plucky  fellow  that." 

Instead  of  straggling  out  onto  the  parade  ground  as 
usual,  the  Sepoys  seemed  to  hang  about  their  tents.  The 
cavalry  mounted  and  formed  up  in  their  lines.  Suddenly 
a  gun  was  fired,  and  as  if  at  the  signal  the  whole  of  the 
infantry  rushed  forward  towards  the  officers,  yelling  and 
firing,  and  the  latter  at  once  turned  their  horses  and  rode 
towards  the  court-house. 

"Don't  be  alarmed,  my  dear,"  the  Doctor  said  to 
Isobel;  "I  don't  suppose  anyone  is  hit.  The  Sepoys 
are  not  good  shots  at  the  best  of  times,  and  firing  run- 
ning they  would  not  be  able  to  hit  a  haystack  at  a  hun- 
dred yards.  The  cavalry  stand  firm,  you  see,"  he  said, 
turning  his  glass  in  that  direction.  "  Forster  is  harang- 
uing them.  There,  three  of  the  native  officers  are  riding 
up  to  him.  Ah!  one  has  fired  at  him!  Missed!  Ah!  that 
is  a  better  shot,"  as  the  man  fell  from  his  horse,  from  a 
shot  from  his  Captain's  pistol. 

The  other  two  rushed  at  him.  One  he  cut  down,  and 
the  other  shot.  Then  he  could  be  seen  again,  shouting 
and  waving  his  sword  to  the  men,  but  their  yells  could 
be  heard  as  they  rode  forward  at  him. 

"  Ride,  man,  ride! "  the  Doctor  shouted,  although  his 
voice  could  not  have  been  heard  at  a  quarter  of  the  dis- 
tance. 


RUJUB,   TEE  JUGGLER.  197 

But  instead  of  turning  Forster  rode  right  at  them. 
There  was  a  confused  melee  for  a  moment,  and  then  his 
figure  appeared  beyond  the  line,  through  which  he  had 
broken.  With  yells  of  fury  the  troopers  reined  in  their 
horses  and  tried  to  turn  them,  but  before  they  could  do 
so  the  officer  was  upon  them  again.  His  revolver  cracked 
in  his  left  hand,  and  his  sword  flashed  in  his  right.  Two 
or  three  horses  and  men  were  seen  to  roll  over,  and  in  a 
moment  he  was  through  them  again  and  riding  at  full 
speed  for  the  court-house,  under  a  scattered  fire  from  the 
infantry,  while  the  horsemen,  now  in  a  confused  mass, 
galloped  behind  him. 

"  Now  then,"  the  Doctor  shouted,  picking  up  his  rifle; 
"  let  them  know  we  are  within  range,  but  mind  you  don't 
hit  Forster.  Fire  two  or  three  shots,  and  then  run  down 
to  the  gate.  He  is  well  mounted,  and  has  a  good  fifty 
yards7  start  of  them." 

Then  taking  deliberate  aim  he  fired.  The  others  fol- 
lowed his  example.  Three  of  the  troopers  dropped  from 
their  horses.  Four  times  those  on  the  terrace  fired,  and 
then  ran  down,  each,  at  the  Doctor's  order,  taking  two 
guns  with  him.  One  of  these  was  placed  in  the  hands 
of  each  of  the  officers  who  had  just  ridden  in,  and  they 
then  gathered  round  the  gate.  In  two  minutes  Forster 
rode  in  at  full  speed,  then  fifteen  muskets  flashed  out, 
and  several  of  the  pursuers  fell  from  their  horses.  A 
minute  later  the  gate  was  closed  and  barred,  and  the  men 
all  ran  up  to  the  roof,  from  which  three  muskets  were 
fired  simultaneously. 

"  Well  done!  "  the  Doctor  exclaimed.  "  That  is  a  good 
beginning." 

A  minute  later  a  brisk  fire  was  opened  from  the  ter- 
race upon  the  cavalry,  who  at  once  turned  and  rode  rap- 
idly back  to  their  lines. 

Captain  Forster  had  not  come  scathless  through  the 
fray;  his  cheek  had  been  laid  open  by  a  sabre  cut,  and  a 
musket  ball  had  gone  through  the  fleshy  part  of  his  arm 
as  he  rode  back. 

"This  comes  of  fighting  when  there  is  no  occasion," 
the  Doctor  growled,  when  he  dressed  his  wounds. 
"  Here  you  are  charging  a  host  like  a  paladin  of  old,  for- 


168  ftUJUB,  THB  JUGGLER. 

pstful  that  we  want  every  man  who  can  lift  an  arm  in 
defense  of  this  place." 

"  I  think,  Doctor,  there  is  someone  else  wants  your 
services  more  than  I  do." 

"Yes;  is  anyone  else  hit?" 

"  No,  I  don't  know  that  anyone  else  is  hit,  Doctor;  but 
as  I  turned  to  come  into  the  house  after  the  gates  were 
shut,  there  was  that  fellow  Bathurst  leaning  against  the 
wall  as  white  as  a  sheet,  and  shaking  all  over  like  a  leaf. 
I  should  say  a  strong  dose  of  Dutch  courage  would  be  the 
best  medicine  there." 

"  You  do  not  do  justice  to  Bathurst,  Captain  Forster," 
the  Doctor  said  gravely.  "  He  is  a  man  I  esteem  most 
highly.  In  some  respects  he  is  the  bravest  man  I  know, 
but  he  is  constitutionally  unable  to  stand  noise,  and  the 
sound  of  a  gun  is  torture  to  him.  It  is  an  unfortunate 
idiosyncrasy  for  which  he  is  in  no  way  accountable." 

"Exceedingly  unfortunate,  I  should  say,"  Forster 
said,  with  a  dry  laugh;  "  especially  at  times  like  this.  It 
is  rather  unlucky  for  him  that  fighting  is  generally  ac- 
companied by  noise.  If  I  had  such  an  idiosyncrasy,  as 
you  call  it,  I  would  blow  out  my  brains." 

"  Perhaps  Bathurst  would  do  so,  too,  Captain  Forster, 
if  he  had  not  more  brains  to  blow  out  than  some  people 
have." 

"That  is  sharp,  Doctor,"  Forster  laughed  good-tem- 
peredly.  "  I  don't  mind  a  fair  hit." 

"  Well,  I  must  go,"  the  Doctor  said,  somewhat  molli- 
fied; "  there  is  plenty  to  do,  and  I  expect,  after  these 
fellows  have  held  a  council  of  war,  they  will  be  trying 
an  attack." 

When  the  Doctor  went  out  he  found  the  whole  of  the 
garrison  busy.  The  Major  had  placed  four  men  on  the 
roof,  and  had  ordered  everyone  else  to  fill  the  bags  that 
had  been  prepared  for  the  purpose  with  earth  from  the 
garden.  It  was  only  an  order  to  the  men  and  male 
servants,  but  the  ladies  had  all  gone  out  to  render  their 
assistance.  As  fast  as  the  natives  filled  the  bags  with 
earth  the  ladies  sewed  up  the  mouths  of  the  bags,  and  the 
men  carried  them  away  and  piled  them  against  the  gate. 

The  garrison  consisted  of  the  six  military  officers,  the 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  jgg 

Doctor,  seven  civilians,  ten  ladies,  eight  children,  thirty- 
eight  male  servants,  and  six  females.  The  work,  there- 
fore, went  on  rapidly,  and  in  the  course  of  two  hours  so 
large  a  pile  of  bags  was  built  up  against  the  gate  that 
there  was  no  probability  whatever  of  its  being  forced. 

"  Now,"  the  Major  said,  "  we  want  four  dozen  bags  at 
least  for  the  parapet  of  the  terrace.  We  need  not  raise 
it  all,  but  we  must  build  up  a  breastwork  two  bags  high 
at  each  of  the  angles." 

There  was  only  just  time  to  accomplish  this  when  one 
of  the  watch  on  the  roof  reported  that  the  Sepoys  were 
firing  the  bungalows.  As  soon  as  they  saw  that  the 
Europeans  had  gained  the  shelter  of  the  court-house, 
the  Sepoys,  with  yells  of  triumph,  had  made  for  the 
houses  of  the  Europeans,  and  their  disappointment  at 
finding  that  not  only  had  all  the  whites  taken  refuge  in 
the  court-house,  but  that  they  had  removed  most  of  their 
property,  vented  itself  in  setting  fire  to  the  buildings, 
after  stripping  them  of  everything,  and  then  amused 
themselves  by  keeping  up  a  straggling  fire  against  the 
court-house. 

As  soon  as  the  bags  were  taken  onto  the  roof,  the  de' 
fenders,  keeping  as  much  as  possible  under  the  shelter 
of  the  parapet,  carried  them  to  the  corners  of  the  terrace 
and  piled  them  two  deep,  thus  forming  a  breastwork  four 
feet  high.  Eight  of  the  best  shots  were  then  chosen,  and 
two  of  them  took  post  at  each  corner. 

"  Now,"  the  Doctor  said  cheerfully,  as  he  sat  behind  a 
small  loophole  that  had  been  left  between  the  bags,  "  it 
is  our  turn,  and  I  don't  fancy  we  shall  waste  as  much 
lead  as  they  have  been  doing." 

The  fire  from  the  defenders  was  slow,  but  it  was 
deadly,  and  in  a  very  short  time  the  Sepoys  no  longer 
dared  to  show  themselves  in  the  open,  but  took  refuge 
behind  trees,  whence  they  endeavored  to  reply  to  the  fire 
on  the  roof;  but  even  this  proved  so  dangerous  that  it 
was  not  long  before  the  fire  ceased  altogether,  and  they 
drew  off  under  cover  of  the  smoke  from  the  burning 
bungalows. 

Isobel  Hannay  had  met  Bathurst  as  he  was  carrying  a 
sack  of  earth  to  the  roof. 


500  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

"  I  have  been  wanting  to  speak  to  you,  Mr.  Bathurst, 
ever  since  yesterday  evening,  but  you  have  never  given 
me  an  opportunity.  Will  you  step  into  the  storeroom 
for  a  few  minutes  as  you  come  down?" 

As  he  came  down  he  went  to  the  door  of  the  room  in 
which  Isobel  was  standing  awaiting  him. 

"  I  am  not  coming  in,  Miss  Hannay;  I  believe  I  know 
what  you  are  going  to  say.  I  saw  it  in  your  face  last 
night  when  I  had  to  tell  that  tiger  story.  You  want  to 
say  that  you  are  sorry  you  said  that  you  despised  cowards. 
Do  not  say  it;  you  were  perfectly  right;  you  cannot  de- 
spise me  one-tenth  as  much  as  I  despise  myself.  While 
you  were  looking  at  the  mutineers  from  the  roof  I  was 
leaning  against  the  wall  below  well-nigh  fainting.  What 
do  you  think  my  feelings  must  be  that  here,  where  every 
man  is  brave,  where  there  are  women  and  children  to  be 
defended,  I  alone  cannot  bear  my  part.  Look  at  my  face; 
I  know  there  is  not  a  vestige  of  color  in  it.  Look  at  my 
hands;  they  are  not  steady  yet.  It  is  useless  for  you  to 
speak;  you  may  pity  me,  but  you  cannot  but  despise  me. 
Believe  me,  that  death  when  it  comes  will  be  to  me  a 
happy  release  indeed  from  the  shame  and  misery  I  feel." 

Then,  turning,  he  left  the  girl  without  another  word, 
and  went  about  his  work.  The  Doctor  had,  just  before 
going  up  to  take  his  place  on  the  roof,  come  across  him. 

"Come  in  here,  my  dear  Bathurst,"  he  said,  seizing 
his  arm  and  dragging  him  into  the  room  which  had  been 
given  up  to  him  for  his  drugs  and  surgical  appliances. 
"  Let  me  give  you  a  strong  dose  of  ammonia  and  ginger; 
you  want  a  pick-up  I  can  see  by  your  face." 

"I  want  it,  Doctor,  but  I  will  not  take  it,"  Bathurst 
said.  "  That  is  one  thing  I  have  made  up  my  mind  to. 
I  will  take  no  spirits  to  create  a  courage  that  I  do  not 
possess." 

"  It  is  not  courage;  it  has  nothing  to  do  with  courage," 
the  Doctor  said  angrily.  "It  is  a  simple  question  of 
nerves,  as  I  have  told  you  over  and  over  again." 

"  Call  it  what  you  like,  Doctor,  the  result  is  precisely 
the  same.  I  do  not  mind  taking  a  strong  dose  of  quinine 
if  you  will  give  it  me,  for  I  feel  as  weak  as  a  child,  but 
no  spirits." 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  201 

With  an  impatient  shrug  of  the  shoulders  the  Doctor 
mixed  a  strong  dose  of  quinine  and  gave  it  to  him. 

An  hour  later  a  sudden  outburst  of  musketry  took 
place.  Not  a  native  showed  himself  on  the  side  of  the 
house  facing  the  maidan,  but  from  the  gardens  on  the 
other  three  sides  a  heavy  fire  was  opened. 

"  Every  man  to  the  roof/'  the  Major  said;  "  four  m^n 
to  each  of  the  rear  corners,  three  to  the  others.  Do  you 
think  you  are  fit  to  fire,  Forster?  Had  you  not  better 
keep  quiet  for  to-day;  you  will  have  opportunities 
enough." 

"  I  am  all  right,  Major,"  he  said  carelessly.  "  I  can 
put  my  rifle  through  a  loophole  and  fire,  though  I  have 
one  arm  in  a  sling.  By  Jove! "  he  broke  off  suddenly; 
"  look  at  that  fellow  Bathurst — he  looks  like  a  ghost." 

The  roll  of  musketry  was  unabated,  and  the  defenders 
were  already  beginning  to  answer  it;  the  bullets  sung 
thickly  overhead,  and  above  the  din  could  be  heard  the 
shouts  of  the  natives.  Bathurst's  face  was  rigid  and 
ghastly  pale.  The  Major  hurried  to  him. 

"  My  dear  Bathurst,"  he  said,  "  I  think  you  had  better 
go  below.  You  will  find  plenty  of  work  to  do  there." 

"  My  work  is  here,"  Bathurst  said,  as  if  speaking  to 
himself;  "it  must  be  done." 

The  Major  could  not  at  the  moment  pay  further  atten- 
tion to  him,  for  a  roar  of  fire  broke  out  round  the  in- 
closure,  as  from  the  ruined  bungalows  and  from  every 
bush  the  Sepoys,  who  had  crept  up,  now  commenced  the 
attack  in  earnest,  while  the  defenders  lying  behind  the 
parapet  replied  slowly  and  steadily,  aiming  at  the  puffs 
of  smoke  as  they  darted  out.  His  attention  was  suddenly 
called  by  a  shout  from  the  Doctor. 

"Are  you  mad,  Bathurst?  Lie  down,  man;  you  are 
throwing  away  your  life." 

Turning  round,  the  Major  saw  Bathurst  standing  up- 
right by  the  parapet,  facing  the  point  where  the  enemy's 
fire  was  hottest.  He  held  a  rifle  in  his  hand,  but  did  not 
attempt  to  fire;  his  figure  swayed  slightly  to  and  fro. 

"  Lie  down,"  the  Major  shouted,  "  lie  down,  sir;"  and 
then  as  Bathurst  still  stood  unmoved  he  was  about  to  rush 
forward,  when  the  Doctor  from  one  side  and  Captain 


202  RVJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

Forster  from  the  other  rushed  towards  him  through  a 
storm  of  bullets,  seized  him  in  their  arms,  and  dragged 
him  back  to  the  center  of  the  terrace. 

"  Nobly  done,  gentlemen,"  the  Major  said,  as  they  laid 
Bathurst  down;  "  it  was  almost  miraculous  your  not  be- 
ing hit." 

Bathurst  had  struggled  fiercely  for  a  moment,  and 
then  his  resistance  has  suddenly  ceased,  and  he  had  been 
dragged  back  like  a  wooden  figure.  His  eyes  were  closed 
now. 

"Has  he  been  hit,  Doctor?"  the  Major  asked.  "It 
seems  impossible  he  can  have  escaped.  What  madness 
possessed  him  to  put  himself  there  as  a  target?" 

"  No,  I  don't  think  he  is  hit,"  the  Doctor  said,  as  he 
examined  him.  "  I  think  he  has  fainted.  We  had  better 
carry  him  down  to  my  room.  Shake  hands,  Forster;  I 
know  you  and  Bathurst  were  not  good  friends,  and  you 
risked  your  life  to  save  him." 

"  I  did  not  think  who  it  was,"  Forster  said,  with  a 
careless  laugh.  "  I  saw  a  man  behaving  like  a  madman, 
and  naturally  went  to  pull  him  down.  However,  I  shall 
think  better  of  him  in  future,  though  I  doubt  whether  he 
was  in  his  right  senses." 

"  He  wanted  to  be  killed,"  the  Doctor  said  quietly; 
"  and  the  effort  that  he  made  to  place  himself  in  the  way 
of  death  must  have  been  greater  than  either  you  or  I  can 
well  understand,  Forster.  I  know  the  circumstances  of 
his  case.  Morally  I  believe  there  is  no  braver  man  living 
than  he  is;  physically  he  has  the  constitution  of  a  timid 
woman;  it  is  mind  against  body." 

"The  distinction  is  too  fine  for  me,  Doctor,"  Forster 
said,  as  he  turned  to  go  off  to  his  post  by  the  parapet. 
"I  understand  pluck  and  I  understand  cowardice,  but 
this  mysterious  mixture  you  speak  of  is  beyond  me  alto- 
gether." 

The  Major  and  Dr.  Wade  lifted  Bathurst  and  carried 
him  below.  Mrs.  Hunter,  who  had  been  appointed  chief 
nurse,  met  them. 

"Is  he  badly  wounded,  Doctor?" 

"  No;  he  is  not  wounded  at  all,  Mrs.  Hunter.  He  stood 
up  at  the  edge  of  the  parapet  and  exposed  himself  so 


RUJUB;   THE  JUGGLER.  203 

rashly  to  the  Sepoys'  fire  that  we  had  to  drag  him  away, 
and  then  the  reaction,  acting  on  a  nervous  temperament, 
was  too  much  for  him,  and  he  fainted.  We  shall  soon 
bring  him  round.  You  can  come  in  with  me,  but  keep 
the  others  away." 

The  Major  at  once  returned  to  the  terrace. 

In  spite  of  the  restoratives  the  Doctor  poured  through 
his  lips,  and  cold  water  dashed  in  his  face,  Bathurst  was 
some  time  before  he  opened  his  eyes.  Seeing  Mrs.  Hun- 
ter and  the  Doctor  beside  him,  he  made  an  effort  to  rise. 

"  You  must  lie  still,  Bathurst,"  the  Doctor  said,  press- 
ing his  hand  on  his  shoulder.  "  You  have  done  a  very 
foolish  thing,  a  very  wrong  thing.  You  have  tried  to 
throw  away  your  life." 

"  No,  I  did  not.  I  had  no  thought  of  throwing  away 
my  life,"  Bathurst  said,  after  a  pause.  "  I  was  trying  to 
make  myself  stand  fire.  I  did  not  think  whether  I  should 
be  hit  or  not.  I  am  not  afraid  of  bullets,  Doctor;  it's  the 
horrible,  fiendish  noise  that  I  cannot  stand." 

"  I  know,  my  boy,"  the  Doctor  said  kindly;  "  but  it 
comes  to  the  same  thing.  You  did  put  yourself  in  the 
way  of  bullets  when  your  doing  so  was  of  no  possible 
advantage,  and  it  is  almost  a  miracle  that  you  escaped 
unlmrt.  You  must  remain  here  quiet  for  the  present.  I 
shall  leave  you  in  charge  of  Mrs.  Hunter.  There  is  noth- 
ing for  you  to  do  on  the  roof  at  present.  This  attack  is 
a  mere  outbreak  of  rage  on  the  part  of  the  Sepoys  that 
we  have  all  escaped  them.  They  know  well  enough  they 
can't  take  this  house  by  merely  firing  away  at  the  roof. 
When  they  attack  in  earnest  it  will  be  quite  time  for  you 
to  take  part  in  the  affair  again.  Now,  Mrs.  Hunter,  my 
orders  are  absolute  that  he  is  not  to  be  allowed  to 
get  up." 

On  the  Doctor  leaving  the  room  he  found  several  of 
the  ladies  outside;  the  news  that  Mr.  Bathurst  had  been 
carried  down  had  spread  among  them. 

"Is  he  badly  hurt,  Doctor?" 

"  No,  ladies.  Mr.  Bathurst  is,  unfortunately  for  him- 
self, an  extremely  nervous  man,  and  the  noise  of  firearms 
has  an  effect  upon  him  that  he  cannot  by  any  effort  of 
his  own  overcome.  In  order,  as  he  says,  to  try  and  ac- 


204  RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER. 

custom  himself  to  it,  he  went  and  stood  at  the  edge  of 
the  parapet  in  full  sight  of  the  Sepoys,  and  let  them 
blaze  away  at  him.  He  must  have  been  killed  if  Forster 
and  I  had  not  dragged  him  away  by  main  force.  Then 
came  the  natural  reaction,  and  he  fainted.  That  is  all 
there  is  about  it.  Poor  fellow,  he  is  extremely  sensitive 
on  the  ground  of  personal  courage.  In  other  respects  I 
have  known  him  do  things  requiring  an  amount  of  pluck 
that  not  one  man  in  a  hundred  possesses,  and  I  wish 
you  all  to  remember  that  his  nervousness  at  the  effect 
of  the  noise  of  firearms  is  a  purely  constitutional  weak- 
ness, for  which  he  is  in  no  way  to  be  blamed.  He  has 
just  risked  his  life  in  the  most  reckless  manner  in  order 
to  overcome  what  he  considers,  and  what  he  knows  that 
some  persons  consider,  is  cowardice,  and  it  would  be  as 
cruel,  and  I  may  say  as  contemptible,  to  despise  him  for 
a  constitutional  failing  as  it  would  be  to  despise  a  person 
for  being  born  a  humpback  or  a  cripple.  But  I  cannot 
stand  talking  any  longer.  I  shall  be  of  more  use  on  the 
roof  than  I  am  here." 

Isobel  Hannay  was  not  among  those  who  had  gathered 
near  the  door  of  the  room  in  which  Bathurst  was  lying, 
but  the  Doctor  had  raised  his  voice,  and  she  heard  what 
he  said,  and  bent  over  her  work  of  sewing  strips  of  linen 
together  for  bandages  with  a  paler  face  than  had  been 
caused  by  the  outbreak  of  musketry. 

Gradually  the  firing  ceased.  The  Sepoys  had  suffered 
heavily  from  the  steady  fire  of  the  invisible  defenders 
and  gradually  drew  off,  and  in  an  hour  from  the  com- 
mencement of  the  attack  all  was  silent  round  the 
building. 

"  So  far  so  good,  ladies,"  the  Major  said  cheerily,  as 
the  garrison,  leaving  one  man  on  watch,  descended  from 
the  roof.  "  We  have  had  no  casualties,  and  I  think  we 
must  have  inflicted  a  good  many,  and  the  mutineers  are 
not  likely  to  try  that  game  on  again,  for  they  must  see 
that  they  are  wasting  ammunition,  and  are  doing  us  no 
harm.  Now  I  hope  the  servants  have  got  tiffin  ready  for 
us,  for  I  am  sure  we  have  all  excellent  appetites." 

"  Tiffin  is  quite  ready,  Major,"  Mrs.  Doolan,  who  had 
been  appointed  chief  of  the  commissariat  departmentt 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER.  205 

said  cheerfully.  "  The  servants  were  a  little  disorganized 
when  the  firing  hegan,  but  they  soon  became  accustomed 
to  it,  and  I  think  you  will  find  everything  in  order  in  the 
hall." 

The  meal  was  really  a  cheerful  one.  The  fact  that  the 
first  attack  had  passed  over  without  anyone  being  hit 
raised  the  spirits  of  the  women,  and  all  were  disposed  to 
look  at  matters  in  a  cheerful  light.  The  two  young 
subalterns  were  in  high  spirits,  and  the  party  were  more 
lively  than  they  had  been  since  the  first  outbreak  of  the 
mutiny.  All  had  felt  severely  the  strain  of  waiting,  and 
the  reality  of  danger  was  a  positive  relief  after  the  con- 
tinuous suspense.  It  was  much  to  them  to  know  that  the 
crisis  had  come  at  last,  that  they  were  still  all  together, 
and  the  foe  were  without. 

"  It  is  difficult  to  believe,"  Mrs.  Doolan  said,  "  that  it 
was  only  yesterday  evening  we  were  all  gathered  at  the 
Major's.  It  seems  an  age  since  then." 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  Mrs.  Eintoul  agreed;  "  the  night 
seemed  endless.  The  worst  time  was  the  waiting  till  we 
were  to  begin  to  move  over.  After  that  I  did  not  so 
much  mind,  though  it  seemed  more  like  a  week  than  a 
night  while  the  things  were  being  brought  in  here." 

"  I  think  the  worse  time  was  while  we  were  waiting 
watching  from  the  roof  to  see  whether  the  troops  would 
come  out  on  parade  as  usual,"  Isobel  said.  "  When  once 
uncle  and  the  others  were  all  in,  and  Captain  Forster, 
and  the  gates  were  shut,  it  seemed  that  our  anxieties 
were  over." 

"  That  was  a  mad  charge  of  yours,  Forster,"  the  Major 
said.  "  It  was  like  the  Balaclava  business — magnificent; 
but  it  wasn't  war." 

"  I  did  not  think  of  it  one  way  or  the  other,"  Captain 
Forster  laughed.  "I  was  so  furious  at  the  insolence  of 
those  dogs  attacking  me,  that  I  thought  of  nothing  else, 
and  just  went  at  them;  but  of  course  it  was  foolish." 

"  It  did  good,"  the  Doctor  said.  "  It  showed  the  Se- 
poys how  little  we  thought  of  them,  and  how  a  single 
white  officer  was  ready  to  match  himself  against  a 
squadron.  It  will  render  them  a  good  deal  more  careful 
in  their  attack  than  they  otherwise  would  have  been.  It 


206  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

brought  them  under  our  fire,  too,  and  they  suffered 
pretty  heavily;  and  I  am  sure  the  infantry  must  have  lost 
a  good  many  men  from  our  fire  just  now.  I  hope  they 
will  come  to  the  conclusion  that  the  wisest  thing  they 
can  do  is  to  march  away  to  Delhi  and  leave  us  severely 
alone.  Now  what  are  your  orders,  Major,  for  ai'ter 
.breakfast?" 

"  I  think  the  best  thing  is  for  everyone  to  lie  down  for 
a  few  hours,"  the  Major  said.  "  No  one  had  a  wink  of 
sleep  last  night,  and  most  of  us  have  not  slept  much  for 
some  nights  past.  We  must  always  keep  two  men  on  the 
roof,  to  be  relieved  every  two  hours.  I  will  draw  up  a 
regular  rota  for  duty;  but  except  those  two,  the  rest  had 
better  take  a  good  sleep.  We  may  be  all  called  upon  to 
be  under  arms  at  night." 

"  I  will  go  on  the  first  relief,  Major,"  the  Doctor  said. 
"  I  feel  particularly  wide-awake.  It  is  nothing  new  to 
me  to  be  up  all  night.  Put  Bathurst  down  with  me,"  he 
said,  in  a  low  tone,  as  the  Major  rose  from  the  table. 
"  He  knows  that  I  understand  him,  and  it  will  be  less 
painful  for  him  to  be  with  me  than  with  anyone  else.  I 
will  go  up  at  once,  and  send  young  Harper  down  to  his 
breakfast.  There  will  be  no  occasion  to  have  Bathurst 
up  this  time.  The  Sepoys  are  not  likely  to  be  trying  any 
pranks  at  present.  No  doubt  they  have  gone  back  to 
their  lines  to  get  a  meal." 

The  Doctor  had  not  been  long  at  his  post  when  Isobel 
Hannay  came  up  onto  the  terrace.  They  had  seen  each 
other  alone  comparatively  little  of  late,  as  the  Doctor  had 
given  up  his  habit  of  dropping  in  for  a  chat  in  the  morn- 
ing since  their  conversation  about  Bathurst. 

"  Well,  my  dear,  what  is  it?  "  he  asked.  "  This  is  no 
place  for  you,  for  there  are  a  few  fellows  still  lurking 
among  the  trees,  and  they  send  a  shot  over  the  house 
occasionally." 

"  I  came  up  to  say  that  I  am  sorry,  Doctor." 

"That  is  right,  Isobel.  Always  say  you  are  sorry 
when  you  are  so,  although  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten,  and 
this  is  one  of  them,  the  saying  so  is  too  late  to  do  much 
good." 

"I  think  you  are  rather  hard  upon  me,  Doctor.     I 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  207 

know  you  were  speaking  at  me  to-day  when  you  were 
talking  to  the  others,  especially  in  what  you  said  at  the 
end." ' 

"  Perhaps  I  was;  hut  I  think  you  quite  deserved  it." 

"  Yes,  I  know  I  did;  but  it  was  hard  to  tell  me  it  was 
as  contemptible  to  despise  a  man  for  a  physical  weak- 
ness he  could  not  help,  as  to  despise  one  for  being  born 
humpbacked  or  a  cripple,  when  you  know  that  my 
brother  was  so." 

"  I  wanted  you  to  feel  that  your  conduct  had  been 
contemptible,  Isobel,  and  I  put  it  in  the  way  that  was 
most  likely  to  come  home  to  you.  I  have  been  disap- 
pointed in  you.  I  thought  you  were  more  sensible  than 
the  run  of  young  women,  and  I  found  out  that  you  were 
not.  I  thought  you  had  some  confidence  in  my  judg- 
ment, but  it  turned  out  that  you  had  not.  If  Bathurst 
had  been  killed  when  he  was  standing  up,  a  target  for 
the  Sepoys,  I  should  have  held  you  morally  responsible 
for  his  death." 

"You  would  have  shared  the  responsibility,  anyhow, 
Doctor,  for  it  was  you  who  repeated  my  words  to  him." 

"  We  will  not  go  over  that  ground  again,"  said  the 
Doctor  quietly.  "  I  gave  you  my  reasons  for  doing  so, 
and  those  reasons  are  to  my  mind  convincing.  Now  I 
will  tell  you  how  this  constitutional  nervousness  on  his 
%part  arose.  He  told  me  the  story;  but  as  at  that  time 
there  had  been  no  occasion  for  him  to  show  whether  he 
was  brave  or  otherwise,  I  considered  my  lips  sealed. 
Now  that  his  weakness  has  been  exhibited,  I  consider 
myself  more  than  justified  in  explaining  its  origin."  And 
he  then  repeated  the  story  Bathurst  had  told  him. 

"  You  see,"  he  said,  when  he  had  finished,  "  it  is  a 
constitutional  matter  beyond  his  control;  it  is  a  sort  of 
antipathy.  I  have  known  a  case  of  a  woman  courageous 
in  all  otker  respects,  who,  at  the  sight  of  even  a  dead 
cockroach,  would  faint  away;  I  have  seen  one  of  the  most 
gallant  officers  of  my  acquaintance  turn  pale  at  the  sight 
of  a  spider.  Certainly  no  one  would  think  of  calling 
either  one  or  the  other  coward;  and  assuredly  such  a 
name  should  not  be  applied  to  a  man  who  would  face  a 
tiger  armed  only  with  a  whip  in  defense  of  a  native 


208  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

woman,  because  his  nerves  go  all  to  pieces  at  the  sound 
of  firearms." 

"If  you  had  told  me  all  this  before  I  should  never 
have  spoken  as  I  did,"  Isobel  pleaded. 

"  I  did  not  go  into  the  full  details,  but  I  told  you  that 
he  was  not  responsible  for  his  want  of  firmness  under 
fire,  and  that  I  knew  him  in  other  respects  to  be  a  brave 
man,"  the  Doctor  said  uncompromisingly.  "  Since  then 
you  have  by  your  manner  driven  him  away  from  you. 
You  have  flirted — well,  you  may  not  call  it  flirting,"  he 
broke  off  in  answer  to  a  gesture  of  denial,  "  but  it  was  the 
same  thing — with  a  man  who  is  undoubtedly  a  gallant 
soldier — a  very  paladin,  if  you  like — but  who,  in  spite  of 
his  handsome  face  and  pleasant  manner,  is  no  more  to 
be  compared  with  Bathurst  in  point  of  moral  qualities 
or  mental  ability  than  light  to  dark,  and  this  after  I  had 
like  an  old  fool  gone  out  of  my  way  to  warn  you.  You 
have  disappointed  me  altogether,  Isobel  Hannay." 

Isobel  stood  motionless  before  him,  with  downcast 
eyes. 

"  Well,  there,  my  dear,"  the  Doctor  went  on  hurriedly, 
as  he  saw  a  tear  glisten  in  her  eyelashes;  "  don't  let  us 
us  say  anything  more  about  it.  In  the  first  place,  it  is 
no  affair  of  mine;  and  in  the  second  place,  your  point  of 
view  was  that  most  women  would  take  at  a  time  like  this; 
only,  you  know,  I  expected  you  would  not  have  done  just 
as  other  women  would.  We  cannot  afford  to  quarrel  now, 
for  there  is  no  doubt  that,  although  we  may  put  a  good 
face  on  the  matter,  our  position  is  one  of  grave  peril, 
and  it  is  of  no  use  troubling  over  trifles.  Now  run  away, 
and  get  a  few  hours'  sleep  if  you  can.  You  will  want 
all  your  strength  before  we  are  through  with  this 
business." 

While  the  Doctor  had  been  talking  to  Isobel,  the  men 
had  gathered  below  in  a  sort  of  informal  council,  the 
subject  being  Bathurst's  conduct  on  the  roof. 

"I  would  not  have  believed  it  if  I  had  not  seen  it," 
Captain  Kintoul  said.  "  The  man  was  absolutely  helpless 
with  fright;  I  never  saw  such  an  exhibition;  and  then  his 
fainting  afterwards  and  having  to  be  carried  away  was 


RVJUB,   TEE  JUQGLER.  209 

disgusting;  in  fact,  it  is  worse  than  that."  There  was  a 
general  murmur  of  assent. 

"  It  is  disgraceful/'  one  of  the  civilians  said;  "  I  am 
ashamed  that  the  man  should  belong  to  our  service;  the 
idea  of  a  fellow  being  helpless  by  fright  when  there  are 
women  and  children  to  be  defended — it  is  downright 
revolting." 

"  Well,  he  did  go  and  stick  himself  up  in  front,"  Wil- 
son said;  "you  should  remember  that.  He  may  have 
been  in  a  blue  funk,  I  don't  say  he  wasn't;  still,  you 
know,  he  didn't  go  away  and  try  to  hide  himself,  but  he 
stuck  himself  up  in  front  for  them  to  fire  at.  I  think  we 
ought  to  take  that  into  consideration." 

"  Dr.  Wade  says  Bathurst  put  himself  there  to  try  and 
accustom  himself  to  fire,"  Captain  Forster  said.  "  Mind, 
I  don't  pretend  to  like  the  man.  We  were  at  school 
together,  and  he  was  a  coward  then  and  a  sneak,  but  for 
all  that  one  should  look  at  it  fairly.  The  Doctor  asserts 
that  Bathurst  is  morally  brave,  but  that  somehow  or 
other  his  nerves  are  too  much  for  him.  I  don't  pretend 
to  understand  it  myself,  but  there  is  no  doubt  about  the 
Doctor's  pluck,  and  I  don't  think  he  would  stand  up  for 
Bathurst  as  he  does  unless  he  really  thought  he  was  not 
altogether  accountable  for  showing  the  white  feather.  I 
think,  too,  from  what  he  let  drop,  that  the  Major  is  to 
some  extent  of  the  same  opinion.  What  do  you  think, 
Doolan?  " 

"I  like  Bathurst,"  Captain  Doolan  said;  "I  have  al- 
ways thought  him  a  first-rate  fellow;  but  one  can't  stick 
up,  you  know,  for  a  fellow  who  can't  behave  as  a  gentle- 
man ought  to,  especially  when  there  are  women  and  chil- 
dren in  danger." 

"It  is  quite  impossible  that  we  should  associate  with 
him,"  Captain  Rintoul  said.  "I  don't  propose  that  we 
should  tell  him  what  we  think  of  him,  but  I  think  we 
ought  to  leave  him  severely  alone." 

"  I  should  say  that  he  ought  to  be  sent  to  Coventry," 
Richards  said. 

"I  should  not  put  it  in  that  way,"  Mr.  Hunter  said 
gravely.  "I  have  always  esteemed  Bathurst.  I  look 
upon  it  as  a  terribly  sad  case;  but  I  agree  with  Captain 


210  RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER. 

Eintoul  that,  in  the  position  in  which  we  are  now  placed, 
a  man  who  proves  himself  to  be  a  coward  must  be  made 
to  feel  that  he  stands  apart  from  us.  I  should  not  call 
it  sending  him  to  Coventry,  or  anything  of  that  sort, 
but  I  do  think  that  we  should  express  by  our  manner  that 
we  don't  wish  to  have  any  communication  with  him." 

There  was  a  general  expression  of  assent  to  this  opin- 
ion, Wilson  alone  protesting  against  it. 

"  You  can  do  as  you  like,"  he  said;  "  but  certainly  I 
shall  speak  to  Bathurst,  and  I  am  sure  the  Doctor  and 
Major  Hannay  will  do  so.  I  don't  want  to  stand  up  for  a 
coward,  but  I  believe  what  the  Doctor  says.  I  have  seen 
a  good  deal  of  Bathurst,  and  I  like  him;  besides,  haven't 
you  heard  the  story  the  Doctor  has  been  telling  about 
his  attacking  a  tiger  with  a  whip  to  save  a  native  woman? 
I  don't  care  what  anyone  says,  a  fellow  who  is  a  down- 
right coward  couldn't  do  a  thing  like  that." 

"  Who  told  the  Doctor  about  it?  "  Farquharson  asked. 
"  If  he  got  it  from  Bathurst,  I  don't  think  it  goes  for 
much  after  what  we  have  seen." 

Wilson  would  have  replied  angrily,  but  Captain  Doolan 
put  his  hand  on  his  shoulder. 

"  Shut  up,  Wilson,"  he  said;  "  this  is  no  time  for  dis- 
putes; we  are  all  in  one  boat  here,  and  must  row  together 
like  brothers.  You  go  your  own  way  about  Bathurst,  I 
don't  blame  you  for  it;  he  is  a  man  everyone  has  liked,  a 
first-rate  official,  and  a  good  fellow  all  round,  except  he 
is  not  one  of  the  sociable  kind.  At  any  other  time  one 
would  not  think  so  much  of  this,  but  at  present  for  a 
man  to  lack  courage  is  for  him  to  lack  everything.  I 
hope  he  will  come  better  out  of  it  than  it  looks  at  pres- 
ent. He  will  have  plenty  of  chances  here,  and  no  one 
will  be  more  glad  than  I  shall  to  see  him  pull  himself 
together." 

The  Doctor,  however,  would  have  quarreled  with 
everyone  all  round  when  he  heard  what  had  been  decided 
upon,  had  not  Major  Hannay  taken  him  aside  and  talked 
to  him  strongly. 

"  It  will  never  do,  Doctor,  to  have  quarrels  here,  and 
as  commandant  I  must  beg  of  you  not  to  make  this  a 
personal  matter.  I  am  very  sorry  for  this  poor  fellow;  I 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  211 

accept  entirely  your  view  of  the  matter;  but  at  the  same 
time  I  really  can't  blame  the  others  for  looking  at  it  from 
a  matter-of-fact  point  of  view.  Want  of  courage  is  at 
all  times  regarded  by  men  as  the  most  unpardonable  of 
failings,  and  at  a  time  like  the  present  this  feeling  is 
naturally  far  stronger  even  than  usual.  I  hope  with 
you  that  Bathurst  will  retrieve  himself  yet,  but  we  shall 
certainly  do  him  no  good  by  trying  to  fight  his  battle 
until  he  does.  You  and  I,  thinking  as  we  do,  will  of 
course  make  no  alteration  in  our  manner  towards  him.  I 
am  glad  to  hear  that  young  Wilson  also  stands  as  his 
friend.  Let  matters  go  on  quietly.  I  believe  they  will 
come  right  in  the  end." 

The  Doctor  was  obliged  to  acknowledge  that  the 
Majors  counsel  was  wise,  and  to  refrain  from  either 
argument  or  sarcasm;  but  the  effort  required  to  check 
his  natural  tendency  to  wordy  conflict  was  almost  too 
great  for  him,  and  when  not  engaged  in  his  own  special 
duties  he  spent  hours  in  one  of  the  angles  of  the  terrace 
keenly  watching  every  tree  and  bush  within  range,  and 
firing  vengefully  whenever  he  caught  sight  of  a  lurking 
native.  So  accurate  was  his  aim  that  the  Sepoys  soon 
learned  to  know  and  dread  the  crack  of  his  rifle;  and 
whenever  it  spoke  out  the  ground  within  its  range  was 
speedily  clear  of  foes. 

The  matter,  however,  caused  a  deep  if  temporary 
estrangement  between  Wilson  and  Eichards.  Although 
constantly  chaffing  each  other,  and  engaged  in  verbal 
strife,  they  had  hitherto  been  firm  friends.  Their  rivalry 
in  the  matter  of  horseflesh  had  not  aroused  angry  feel- 
ings, even  their  mutual  adoration  of  Isobel  Hannay 
had  not  affected  a  breach  in  their  friendship;  but  upon 
the  subject  of  sending  Bathurst  to  Coventry  they  quar- 
reled so  hotly,  that  for  a  time  they  broke  off  all  commu- 
nication with  each  other,  and  both  in  their  hearts  re- 
gretted that  their  schoolboy  days  had  passed,  and  that 
they  could  not  settle  the  matter  in  good  schoolboy 
fashion. 


213  BUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 


CHAPTEE  XIV. 

BUT  though  obliged  to  defer  to  Major  Hannay's  wishes, 
and  to  abstain  from  arguing  with  the  men  the  question 
of  Bathurst  being  given  the  cold  shoulder,  Dr.  Wade  had 
already  organized  the  ladies  in  his  favor.  During  the 
afternoon  he  had  told  them  the  tiger  story,  and  had 
confidentially  informed  them  how  it  was  that  Bathurst 
from  his  birth  had  been  the  victim  of  something  like 
nervous  paralysis  at  all  loud  sounds,  especially  those  of 
the  discharge  of  firearms. 

"  His  conduct  to-day,"  he  said,  "  and  his  courage  in 
rescuing  that  native  girl  from  the  tiger,  illustrate  his 
character.  He  is  cool,  brave,  and  determined,  as  might 
be  expected  from  a  man  of  so  well-balanced  a  mind  as 
his;  and  even  when  his  nerves  utterly  broke  down  under 
the  din  of  musketry,  his  will  was  so  far  dominant  that  he 
forced  himself  to  go  forward  and  stand  there  under  fire, 
an  act  which  was,  under  the  circumstances,  simply 
heroic." 

There  is  little  difficulty  in  persuading  women  as  to  the 
merits  of  a  man  they  like,  and  Bathurst  had,  since  the 
troubles  began,  been  much  more  appreciated  than  before 
by  the  ladies  of  Deennugghur.  They  had  felt  there  was 
something  strengthening  and  cheering  in  his  presence, 
for  while  not  attempting  to  minimize  the  danger,  there 
was  a  calm  confidence  in  his  manner  that  comforted  and 
reassured  those  he  talked  to. 

In  the  last  twenty-four  hours,  too,  he  had  unobtru- 
sively performed  many  little  kindnesses;  had  aided  in  the 
removals,  carried  the  children,  looked  after  the  servants, 
and  had  been  foremost  in  the  arrangement  of  everything 
that  could  add  to  the  comfort  of  the  ladies. 

"I  am  glad  you  have  told  us  all  about  it,  Doctor," 
Mrs.  Doolan  said;  "and,  of  course2  no  one  would  dream 
of  blaming  him.  I  had  heard  that  story  about  his  leav- 
ing the  army  years  ago;  but  although  I  had  only  seen 
him  once  or  twice,  I  did  not  believe  it  for  a  minute. 
What  you  tell  us  now,  Doctor,  explains  the  whole  matter. 
I  pity  him  sincerely.  It  must  be  something  awful  for  a 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  213 

man  at  a  time  like  this  not  to  be  able  to  take  his  part 
in  the  defense,  especially  when  there  are  us  women  here. 
Why,  it  would  pain  me  less  to  see  Jem  brought  in  dead, 
than  for  him  to  show  the  white  feather.  What  can  we 
do  for  the  poor  fellow?  " 

"  Treat  him  just  as  usual.  There  is  nothing  else  you 
can  do,  Mrs.  Doolan.  Any  tone  of  sympathy,  still  less  of 
pity,  would  be  the  worst  thing  possible.  He  is  in  the 
lowest  depths  at  present;  but  if  he  finds  by  your  tone 
and  manner  that  you  regard  him  on  the  same  footing  as 
before,  he  will  gradually  come  round,  and  I  hope  that  be- 
fore the  end  of  the  siege  he  will  have  opportunities  of 
retrieving  himself.  Not  under  fire — that  is  hopeless;  but 
in  other  ways." 

"  You  may  be  sure  we  will  do  all  we  can,  Doctor," 
Mrs.  Doolan  said  warmly;  "  and  there  are  plenty  of  ways 
he  will  be  able  to  make  himself  most  useful.  There  is 
somebody  wanted  to  look  after  all  those  syces  and  serv- 
ants, and  it  would  be  a  comfort  to  us  to  have  someone 
to  talk  to  occasionally;  besides,  all  the  children  are  fond 
of  him." 

This  sentiment  was  warmly  echoed;  and  thus,  when  the 
determination  at  which  the  men  had  arrived  to  cut  Bath- 
urst  became  known,  there  was  something  like  a  feminine 
revolution. 

"You  may  do  as  you  like,"  Mrs.  Doolan  said  indig- 
nantly; "  but  if  you  think  that  we  are  going  to  do  any- 
thing so  cruel  and  unjust,  you  are  entirely  mistaken,  I 
can  tell  you." 

Mrs.  Rintoul  was  equally  emphatic,  and  Mrs.  Hunter 
quietly,  but  with  as  much  decision,  protested.  "I  have 
always  regarded  Mr.  Bathurst  as  a  friend,"  she  said, 
"  and  I  shall  continue  to  do  so.  It  is  very  sad  for  him 
that  he  cannot  take  part  in  the  defense,  but  it  is  no 
more  fair  to  blame  him  than  it  would  be  to  blame  us, 
because  we,  too,  are  non-combatants." 

Isobel  Hannay  had  taken  no  part  in  the  first  discussion 
among  the  ladies,  nor  did  she  say  anything  now. 

"  It  is  cruel  and  unjust,"  she  said  to  herself,  "  but  they 
only  think  as  I  did.  I  was  more  cruel  and  unjust  than 
thej,  for  there  was  no  talk  of  danger  then.  I  expressed 


214  RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER. 

my  contempt  of  him  because  there  was  a  suspicion  that 
he  had  showed  cowardice  ten  years  ago,  while  they  have 
seen  it  shown  now  when  there  is  fearful  peril.  If  they 
are  cruel  and  unjust,  what  was  I?" 

Later  on  the  men  gathered  together  at  one  end  of  the 
room,  and  talked  over  the  situation. 

"Dr.  Wade/'  the  Major  said  quietly,  "I  shall  be 
obliged  if  you  will  go  and  ask  Mr.  Bathurst  to  join  us.  He 
knows  the  people  round  here  better  than  any  of  us,  and 
his  opinion  will  be  valuable." 

The  Doctor,  who  had  several  times  been  in  to  see 
Bathurst,  went  to  his  room. 

"  The  Major  wants  you  to  join  us,  Bathurst;  we  are 
having  a  talk  over  things,  and  he  wishes  to  have  your 
opinion.  I  had  better  tell  you  that  as  to  yourself  the 
camp  is  divided  into  two  parties.  On  one  side  are  the 
Major,  Wilson,  and  myself,  and  all  the  ladies,  who  take, 
I  need  not  say,  a  common-sense  view  of  the  matter,  and 
recognize  that  you  have  done  all  a  man  could  do  to  over- 
come your  constitutional  nervousness,  and  that  there  is 
no  discredit  whatever  attached  to  you  personally.  The 
rest  of  the  men,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  at  present  take  another 
view  of  the  case,  and  are  disposed  to  show  you  the  cold 
shoulder." 

"That,  of  course,"  Bathurst  said  quietly;  "as  to  the 
ladies'  view  of  it,  I  know  that  it  is  only  the  result  of  your 
good  offices,  Doctor." 

"  Then  you  will  come,"  the  Doctor  said,  pleased  that 
Bathurst  seemed  less  depressed  than  he  had  expected. 

"  Certainly  I  will  come,  Doctor,"  Bathurst  said,  rising; 
"  the  worst  is  over  now — everyone  knows  that  I  am  a 
coward — that  is  what  I  have  dreaded.  There  is  nothing 
else  for  me  to  be  afraid  of,  and  it  is  of  no  use  hiding 
myself." 

"We  look  quite  at  home  here,  Mr.  Bathurst,  don't 
we?  "  Mrs.  Doolan  said  cheerfully,  as  he  passed  her;  "  and 
I  think  we  all  feel  a  great  deal  more  comfortable  than 
we  did  when  you  gave  us  your  warning  last  night;  the 
anticipation  is  always  worse  than  the  reality." 

"Not  always,  I  think,  Mrs.  Doolan,"  he  said  quietly; 
"but  you  have  certainly  made  yourselves  wonderfully  at 


RUJUB,  THE  /I  SOLE R.  215 

home,  though  your  sewing  is  of  a  more  practical  kind 
than  that  upon  which  you  are  ordinarily  engaged." 

Then  he  passed  on  with  the  Doctor  to  the  other  end  of 
the  room.  The  Major  nodded  as  he  came  up. 

"All  right  again  now,  Bathurst,  I  hope?  We  want 
your  opinion,  for  you  know,  I  think,  more  of  the  Zemin- 
dars in  this  part  of  the  country  than  any  of  us.  Of 
course,  the  question  is,  will  they  take  part  against  us?" 

"  I  am  afraid  they  will,  Major.  I  had  hoped  other- 
wise; but  if  it  be  true  that  the  ISTana  has  gone — and  as 
the  other  part  of  the  message  was  correct,  I  have  no 
doubt  this  is  so  also— I  am  afraid  they  will  be  carried 
away  with  the  stream." 

*And  you  think  they  have  guns?" 

"  I  have  not  the  least  doubt  of  it;  the  number  given 
up  was  a  mere  fraction  of  those  they  were  said  to  have 
possessed." 

"I  had  hoped  the  troops  would  have  marched  away 
after  the  lesson  we  gave  them  this  morning,  but,  so  far 
as  we  can  make  out,  there  is  no  sign  of  movement  in  their 
lines.  However,  they  may  start  at  daybreak  to-morrow." 

"  I  will  go  out  to  see  if  you  like,  Major,"  Bathurst  said 
quietly.  "  I  can  get  native  clothes  from  the  servants, 
and  I  speak  the  language  well  enough  to  pass  as  a  native; 
so  if  you  give  me  permission  I  will  go  out  to  the  lines 
and  learn  what  their  intentions  are." 

"  It  would  be  a  very  dangerous  undertaking,"  the  Major 
said  gravely. 

"I  have  no  fear  whatever  of  danger  of  that  kind, 
Major;  my  nerves  are  steady  enough,  except  when  there 
is  a  noise  of  firearms,  and  then,  as  you  all  saw  this 
morning,  I  cannot  control  them,  do  what  I  will.  Risks 
of  any  other  kind  I  am  quite  prepared  to  undertake,  but 
in  this  matter  I  think  the  danger  is  very  slight,  the  only 
difficulty  being  to  get  through  the  line  of  sentries  they 
have  no  doubt  posted  round  the  house.  Once  past  them, 
I  think  there  is  practically  no  risk  whatever  of  their  rec- 
ognizing me  when  made  up  as  a  native.  The  Doctor  has, 
no  doubt,  got  some  iodine  in  his  surgery,  and  a  coat  of 
that  will  bring  me  to  the  right  color." 

*  Well,  if  jou  are  ready  to  undertake  it,  I  will  not  re- 


i.16  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

fuse,"  the  Major  said.  "  How  would  you  propose  to  get 
out?" 

"  I  noticed  yesterday  that  the  branches  of  one  of  the 
trees  in  the  garden  extended  beyond  the  top  of  the  wall. 
I  will  climb  up  that  and  lower  myself  on  the  other  side 
by  a  rope;  that  is  a  very  simple  matter.  The  spot  is  close 
to  the  edge  of  Mr.  Hunter's  compound,  and  I  shall  work 
my  way  through  the  shrubbery  till  I  feel  sure  I  am  be- 
yond any  sentries  who  may  be  posted  there;  the  chances 
are  that  they  will  not  be  thick  anywhere,  except  opposite 
the  gate.  By  the  way,  Captain  Forster,  before  I  go  I 
must  thank  you  for  having  risked  your  life  to  save  mine 
this  morning.  I  heard  from  Mrs.  Hunter  that  it  was  you 
and  the  Doctor  who  rushed  forward  and  drew  me  back." 

"  It  is  not  worth  talking  about,"  Captain  Forster  said 
carelessly.  "You  seemed  bent  on  making  a  target  of 
yourself;  and  as  the  Major's  orders  were  that  everyone 
was  to  lie  down,  there  was  nothing  for  it  but  to  remove 
you." 

Bathurst  turned  to  Dr.  Wade.  "  Will  you  superintend 
my  get-up,  Doctor?" 

"  Certainly,"  the  Doctor  said,  with  alacrity.  "  I  will 
guarantee  that,  with  the  aid  of  my  boy,  I  will  turn  you 
out  so  that  no  one  would  know  you  even  in  broad  day- 
light, to  say  nothing  of  the  dark." 

A  quarter  of  an  hour  sufficed  to  metamorphose  Bath- 
urst into  an  Oude  peasant.  He  did  not  return  to  the 
room,  but,  accompanied  by  the  Doctor,  made  his  way  to 
the  tree  he  had  spoken  of. 

"  By  the  way,  you  have  taken  no  arms,"  the  Doctor 
said  suddenly. 

"  They  would  be  useless,  Doctor;  if  I  am  recognized 
I  shall  be  killed;  if  I  am  not  discovered,  and  the  chances 
are  very  slight  of  my  being  so,  I  shall  get  back  safely. 
By  the  way,  we  will  tie  some  knots  on  that  rope  before  I 
let  myself  down.  I  used  to  be  able  to  climb  a  rope  with- 
out them,  but  I  doubt  whether  I  could  do  so  now." 

"  Well,  God  bless  you,  lad,  and  bring  you  back  safely! 
You  may  make  as  light  of  it  as  you  will,  but  it  is  a 
dangerous  expedition.  However,  I  am  glad  you  have  un- 
dertaken it,  come  what  may,  for  it  has  given  you  the 


RUJUB,  TEE  JUGGLER.  217 

opportunity  of  showing  you  are  not  afraid  of  danger 
when  it  takes  any  other  form  than  that  of  firearms. 
There  are  plenty  of  men  who  would  stand  up  bravely 
enough  in  a  fight,  who  would  not  like  to  undertake  this 
task  of  going  out  alone  in  the  dark  into  the  middle  of 
these  bloodthirsty  scoundrels.  How  long  do  you  think 
you  will  be?" 

"  A  couple  of  hours  at  the  outside." 

"Well,  at  the  end  of  an  hour  I  shall  be  back  here 
again.  Don't  be  longer  than  you  can  help,  lad,  for  I  shall 
be  very  anxious  until  you  return." 

When  the  Doctor  re-entered  the  house  there  was  a 
chorus  of  questions: 

"Has  Mr.  Bathurst  started?"  "Why  did  you  not 
bring  him  in  here  before  he  left?  We  should  all  have 
liked  to  have  said  good-by  to  him." 

"  Yes,  he  has  gone.  I  have  seen,  him  over  the  wall; 
and  it  was  much  better  that  he  should  go  without  any 
fuss.  He  went  off  just  as  quietly  and  unconcernedly  as 
if  he  had  been  going  out  for  an  ordinary  evening's  walk. 
Now  I  am  going  up  onto  the  roof.  I  don't  say  we  should 
hear  any  hubbub  down  at  the  lines  if  he  were  discovered 
there,  but  we  should  certainly  hear  a  shout  if  he  came 
across  any  of  the  sentries  round  the  house." 

"Has  he  taken  any  arms,  Doctor?"  the  Major  asked. 

"  None  whatever,  Major.  I  asked  him  if  he  would  not 
take  pistols,  but  he  refused." 

"  Well,  I  don't  understand  that,"  Captain  Forster  re- 
marked. "  If  I  had  gone  on  such  a  business  I  would 
have  taken  a  couple  of  revolvers.  I  am  quite  ready  to 
take  my  chance  of  being  killed  fighting,  but  I  should  not 
like  to  be  seized  and  hacked  to  pieces  in  cold  blood.  My 
theory  is  a  man  should  sell  his  life  as  dearly  as  he  can." 

"  That  is  the  animal  instinct,  Forster,"  the  Doctor  said 
sharply;  "  though  I  don't  say  that  I  should  not  feel  the 
same  myself;  but  I  question  whether  Bathurst's  is  not  a 
higher  type  of  courage." 

"  Well,  I  don't  aspire  to  Bathurst's  type  of  courage, 
Doctor,"  Forster  said,  with  a  short  laugh. 

But  the  Doctor  did  not  answer.  He  had  already  turned 
away,  and  was  making  for  the  stairs. 


218  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

"May  I  go -with  you,  Doctor  ?"  Isobel  Hannay  said, 
following  him.  "  It  is  very  hot  down  here." 

"  Yes;  come  along,  child;  but  there  is  no  time  to  lose, 
for  Bathurst  must  be  near  where  they  are  likely  to  have 
posted  their  sentries  by  this  time/' 

"Everything  quiet,  Wilson?"  he  asked  the  young 
subaltern,  who,  with  another,  was  on  guard  on  the  roof. 

"  Yes;  we  have  heard  nothing  except  a  few  distant 
shouts  and  noises  out  at  the  lines.  Round  here  there  has 
been  nothing  moving,  except  that  we  heard  someone 
go  out  into  the  garden  just  now." 

"  I  went  out  with  Bathurst,"  the  Doctor  said.  "  He 
has  gone  in  the  disguise  of  a  native  to  the  Sepoy  lines,  to 
find  out  what  are  their  intentions." 

"  I  heard  the  talk  over  it,  Doctor.  I  only  came  up  on 
watch  a  few  minutes  since.  I  thought  it  was  most  likely 
him  when  I  heard  the  steps." 

"  I  hope  he  is  beyond  the  sentries,"  the  Doctor  said. 
"  I  have  come  up  here  to  listen." 

"  I  expect  he  is  through  them  before  this,"  Wilson  said 
confidently.  "  I  wish  I  could  have  gone  with  him;  but  of 
course  it  would  not  have  been  any  good.  It  is  a  beautiful 
night — isn't  it,  Miss  Hannay? — and  there  is  scarcely  any 
dew  falling." 

"  Now,  you  go  off  to  your  post  in  the  corner,  Wilson. 
Your  instructions  are  to  listen  for  the  slightest  sound, 
and  to  assure  us  against  the  Sepoys  creeping  up  to  the 
walls.  We  did  not  come  up  here  to  distract  you  from 
your  duties,  or  to  gossip." 

"  There  are  Richards  and  another  posted  somewhere 
in  the  garden,"  Wilson  said.  "  Still,  I  suppose  you  are 
right,  Doctor;  but  if  you,  Miss  Hannay,  have  come  up 
to  listen,  come  and  sit  in  my  corner;  it  is  the  one  nearest 
to  the  lines." 

"  You  may  as  well  go  and  sit  down,  Isobel,"  the  Doctor 
said;  "  that  is,  if  you  intend  to  stay  up  here  long;"  and 
they  went  across  with  Wilson  to  his  post.  "  Shall  I  put 
one  of  these  sandbags  for  you  to  sit  on  ?  " 

"I  would  rather  stand,  thank  you;"  and  they  stood 
for  some  time  silently  watching  the  fires  in  the  lines. 

"  They  are  drawing  pretty  heavily  on  the  wood  stores," 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  21& 

the  Doctor  growled;  "  there  is  a  good  deal  more  than  the 
regulation  allowance  blazing  in  those  fires.  I  can  make 
out  a  lot  of  figures  moving  about  round  them;  no  doubt 
numbers  of  the  peasants  have  come  in." 

"  Do  you  think  Mr.  Bathurst  has  got  beyond  the  line 
of  sentries  ?  "  Isobel  said,  after  standing  perfectly  quiet 
for  some  time. 

"  Oh,  yes,  a  long  way;  probably  he  was  through  by  the 
time  we  came  up  here.  They  are  not  likely  to  post  them 
more  than  fifty  or  sixty  yards  from  the  wall;  and,  indeed, 
it  is,  as  Bathurst  pointed  out  to  me,  probable  that  they 
are  only  thick  near  the  gate.  All  they  want  to  do  is  to 
prevent  us  slipping  away.  I  should  think  that  Bathurst 
must  be  out  near  the  lines  by  this  time/' 

Isobel  moved  a  few  paces  away  from  the  others,  and 
again  stood  listening. 

"  I  suppose  you  do  not  think  that  there  is  any  chance 
of  an  attack  to-night,  Doctor?"  Wilson  asked,  in  low 
tones. 

"  Not  in  the  least;  the  natives  are  not  fond  of  night 
work.  I  expect  they  are  dividing  the  spoil  and  quarrel- 
ing over  it;  anyhow,  they  have  had  enough  of  it  for  to- 
day. They  may  intend  to  march  away  in  the  morning, 
or  they  may  have  sent  to  Cawnpore  to  ask  for  orders, 
or  they  may  have  heard  from  some  of  the  Zemindars 
that  they  are  coming  in  to  join  them — that  is  what 
Bathurst  has  gone  out  to  learn;  but  anyhow  I  do  not 
think  they  will  attack  us  again  with  their  present 
force." 

"  I  wish  there  were  a  few  more  of  us,"  Wilson  said, 
"  so  that  we  could  venture  on  a  sortie," 

"  So  do  I,  lad;  but  it  is  no  use  thinking  about  it  as  it 
is.  We  have  to  wait;  our  fate  is  not  in  our  own  hands." 

"  And  you  think  matters  look  bad,  Doctor?  " 

"I  think  they  could  hardly  look  worse.  Unless  the 
mutineers  take  it  into  their  heads  to  march  away,  there 
is,  humanly  speaking,  but  one  chance  for  us,  and  that  is 
that  Lawrence  may  thrash  the  Sepoys  so  completely  at 
Lucknow  that  he  may  be  able  to  send  out  a  force  to 
bring  us  in.  The  chances  of  that  are  next  to  nothing; 
lor  in  addition  to  a  very  large  Sepoy  force  he  has  the 


220  RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER. 

population  of  Lucknow — one  of  the  most  turbulent  in 
India — on  his  hands.  Ah,  what  is  that?" 

Two  musket  shots  in  quick  succession  from  the  Sepoy 
lines  broke  the  silence  of  the  evening,  and  a  startled  ex- 
clamation burst  from  the  girl  standing  near  them. 

The  Doctor  went  over  to  her. 

"  Do  you  think — do  you  think,"  she  said  in  a  low, 
strained  voice,  "  that  it  was  Bathurst ?  " 

"  Not  at  all.  If  they  detected  him,  and  I  really  do  not 
see  that  there  is  a  chance  of  their  doing  so,  disguised  as  he 
was,  they  would  have  seized  him  and  probably  killed  him, 
but  there  would  be  no  firing.  He  has  gone  unarmed,  you 
know,  and  would  offer  no  resistance.  Those  shots  you 
heard  were  doubtless  the  result  of  some  drunken  quarrel 
over  the  loot." 

"  Do  you  really  think  so,  Doctor?  " 

"  I  feel  quite  sure  of  it.  If  it  had  been  Forster  who 
had  gone  out,  and  he  had  been  detected,  it  would  have 
been  natural  enough  that  we  should  hear  the  sound  of 
something  like  a  battle.  In  the  first  place,  he  would  have 
defended  himself  desperately,  and,  in  the  next,  he  might 
have  made  his  way  through  them  and  escaped;  but,  as  I 
said,  with  Bathurst  there  would  be  no  occasion  for  their 
firing." 

"  Why  didn't  he  come  in  to  say  good-by  before  he  went? 
that  is  what  I  wanted  to  ask  you,  Doctor,  and  why  I 
came  up  here.  I  wanted  to  have  spoken  to  him,  if  only 
for  a  moment,  before  he  started.  I  tried  to  catch  his 
eye  as  he  went  out  of  the  room  with  you,  but  he  did  not 
even  look  at  me.  It  will  be  so  hard  if  he  never  cornea 
back,  to  know  that  he  went  away  without  my  having 
spoken  to  him  again.  I  did  try  this  morning  to  tell  him 
that  I  was  sorry  for  what  I  said,  but  he  would  not  listen 
to  me." 

"You  will  have  an  opportunity  of  telling  him  when 
he  comes  back,  if  you  want  to,  or  of  showing  him  so  by 
your  manner,  which  would  be,  perhaps,  less  painful  to 
both  of  you." 

"  I  don't  care  about  pain  to  myself,"  the  girl  said.  "  I 
have  been  unjust,  and  deserve  it." 

"I  don't  think  he  considers  you  unjust.     I  did,  and 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER.  221 

told  yon  so.  He  feels  what  he  considers  the  disgrace  so 
much  that  it  seems  to  him  perfectly  natural  he  should 
be  despised." 

"  Yes,  but  I  want  him  to  see  that  he  is  not  despised," 
she  said  quickly.  "  You  don't  understand,  Doctor." 

"  I  do  understand  perfectly,  my  dear;  at  least,  I  think 
— I  think  I  do;  I  see  that  you  want  to  put  yourself 
straight  with  him,  which  is  very  right  and  proper, 
especially  placed  as  we  all  are;  but  I  would  not  do  or  say 
anything  hastily.  You  have  spoken  hastily  once,  you 
see,  and  made  a  mess  of  it.  I  should  be  careful  how  I  did 
it  again,  unless,  of  course "  and  he  stopped. 

"Unless  what,  Doctor?"  Isobel  asked  shyly,  after  a 
long  pause.  But  there  was  no  reply;  and  looking  round 
she  saw  that  her  companion  had  moved  quietly  away  and 
had  joined  Wilson  at  his  post.  She  stood  for  a  few  min- 
utes in  the  same  attitude,  and  then  moved  quietly  across 
the  staircase  in  the  center  of  the  terrace,  and  went  down 
to  the  party  below.  A  short  time  later  the  Doctor  fol- 
lowed her,  and,  taking  his  rifle,  went  out  into  the  garden 
with  Captain  Doolan,  who  assisted  him  in  climbing  the 
tree,  and  handed  his  gun  up  to  him.  The  Doctor  made 
his  way  out  on  the  branch  to  the  spot  where  it  extended 
beyond  the  wall,  and  there  sat,  straining  his  eyes  into 
the  darkness.  Half  an  hour  passed,  and  then  he  heard  a 
light  footfall  on  the  sandy  soil. 

"Is  that  you,  Bathurst?"  he  whispered. 

"All  right,  Doctor;"  and  a  minute  later  Bathurst  sat 
on  the  branch  beside  him. 

"  Well,  what's  your  news  ?  " 

"  Very  bad,  Doctor;  they  expect  the  Kajah  For  Sing, 
who,  it  seems,  is  the  leader  of  the  party  in  this  district, 
and  several  other  Zemindars,  to  be  here  with  guns  to- 
morrow or  next  day.  The  news  from  Cawnpore  was  true. 
The  native  troops  mutinied  and  marched  away,  but  were 
joined  by  Nana  Sahib  and  his  force,  and  he  persuaded 
them  to  return  and  attack  the  whites  in  their  intrench- 
ments  at  Cawnpore,  as  they  would  not  be  well  received  at 
Delhi  unless  they  had  properly  accomplished  their  share 
of  the  work  of  rooting  out  the  Feringhees." 

"The    infernal    scoundrel!"    the    Doctor    exclaimed; 


222  RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER. 

"  after  pretending  for  years  to  be  our  best  friend.  I'm 
disgusted  to  think  that  I  have  drunk  his  champagne  a 
dozen  times.  However,  that  makes  little  difference  to 
us  now,  your  other  news  is  the  most  important.  We 
could  have  resisted  the  Sepoys  for  a  month;  but  if  they 
bring  up  guns  there  can  be  but  one  ending  to  it." 

"  That  is  so,  Doctor.  The  only  hope  I  can  see  is  that 
they  may  find  our  resistance  so  obstinate  as  to  be  glad 
to  grant  us  terms  of  surrender." 

"  Yes,  there  is  that  chance,"  the  Doctor  agreed;  "  but 
history  shows  there  is  but  little  reliance  to  be  placed 
upon  native  oaths." 

Bathurst  was  silent;  his  own  experience  of  the  natives 
had  taught  him  the  same  lesson. 

"  It  is  a  poor  hope,"  he  said,  after  a  while;  "  but  it  is 
the  only  one,  so  far  as  I  can  see." 

Not  another  word  was  spoken  as  they  descended  the 
tree  and  walked  across  to  the  house. 

"Never  mind  about  changing  your  things,  come 
straight  in." 

"  Our  scout  has  returned,"  the  Doctor  said,  as  he 
entered  the  room.  There  was  a  general  exclamation  of 
gladness  on  the  part  of  the  ladies  who  had  not  retired. 

"  I  am  very  glad  to  see  you  safe  back,  Mr.  Bathurst," 
Mrs.  Hunter  said,  going  up  to  him  and  taking  his  hand. 
"  We  have  all  been  very  anxious  since  you  left." 

"  The  danger  was  very  slight,  Mrs.  Hunter.  I  only 
wish  I  had  brought  you  back  the  news  that  the  native 
lines  were  deserted  and  the  mutineers  in  full  march  for 
Delhi  and  Lucknow." 

"  I  was  afraid  you  would  hardly  bring  that  news,  Mr. 
Bathurst;  it  was  almost  too  good  to  hope  for.  However, 
we  are  all  glad  that  you  are  back.  Are  we  not,  Isobel?  " 

"  We  are  indeed,  ?lr.  Bathurst,  though  as  yet  I  can 
hardly  persuade  myself  that  it  is  you  in  that  get-up." 

"I  think  there  is  no  doubt  of  my  identity.  Can  you 
tell  me  where  you  uncle  is,  Miss  Hannay?  I  have  to  make 
rny  report  to  him." 

"  He  is  on  the  roof.  There  is  a  sort  of  general  gather- 
ing of  our  defenders  there." 

Two  lamps  had  been  placed  in  the  center  of  the  terrace, 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  225 

and  round  these  the  little  garrison  were  grouped,  some 
eitting  on  boxes,  others  lying  on  mats,  almost  all  smok- 
ing. Bathurst  was  greeted  heartily  by  the  Major  and 
Wilson  as  soon  as  he  was  recognized. 

"  I  am  awfully  glad  to  see  you  back,"  Wilson  said, 
shaking  him  warmly  by  the  hand.  "  I  wish  I  could  have 
gone  with  you.  Two  together  does  not  seem  so  bad, 
but  I  should  not  like  to  start  out  by  myself  as  you 
did." 

There  was  a  hearty  cordiality  in  the  young  fellow's 
voice  that  was  very  pleasant  to  Bathurst. 

"  We  have  all  our  gifts,  as  Hawkeye  used  to  say,  as  I 
have  no  doubt  you  remember,  Wilson.  Such  gifts  as  I 
have  lay  in  the  way  of  solitary  work,  I  fancy." 

"Now,  light  a  cheroot,  Bathurst,"  the  Major  said, 
"  and  drink  off  this  tumbler  of  brandy  and  soda,  aad 
then  let  us  hear  your  story." 

"  The  story  is  simple  enough,  Major.  I  got  through 
without  difficulty.  The  sentries  are  some  distance  apart 
round  the  garden  wall.  As  soon  as  I  discovered  by  the 
Bound  of  their  footsteps  where  they  were,  it  was  easy 
enough  to  get  through  them.  Then  I  made  a  longish 
detour,  and  came  down  on  the  lines  from  the  other  side. 
There  was  no  occasion  for  concealment  then.  Numbers 
of  the  country  people  had  come  in,  and  were  gathered 
round  the  Sepoys'  fires,  and  I  was  able  to  move  about 
amongst  them,  and  listen  to  the  conversation  without 
the  smallest  hindrance. 

"  The  Sepoys  were  loudly  expressing  their  dissatisfac- 
tion at  their  officers  leading  them  against  the  house  to- 
day, when  they  had  no  means  of  either  battering  down  the 
walls  or  scaling  them.  Then  there  was  a  general  opinion 
that  treachery  was  at  work;  for  how  else  should  the 
Europeans  have  known  they  were  going  to  rise  that  morn- 
ing, and  so  moved  during  the  night  into  the  house? 
There  was  much  angry  recrimination  and  quarreling,  and 
many  expressed  their  regret  they  had  not  marched 
straight  to  Cawnpore  after  burning  the  bungalows. 

"  All  this  was  satisfactory;  but  I  learned  that  For  Sing 
and  several  others  Zemindars  had  already  sent  in  assur- 
ances that  they  were  wholly  with  them,  and  would  be 


224  RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER. 

here,  with  guns  to  batter  down  the  walls,  some  time  to- 
morrow." 

"  That  is  bad  news,  indeed,"  the  Major  said  gravely, 
when  he  had  finished.  "  Of  course,  when  we  heard  that 
Nana  Sahib  had  thrown  in  his  lot  with  the  mutineers, 
it  was  probable  that  many  of  the  landowners  would  go 
the  same  way;  but  if  the  Sepoys  had  marched  off  they 
might  not  have  attacked  us  on  their  own  account.  Now 
we  know  that  the  Sepoys  are  going  to  stay,  and  that  they 
will  have  guns,  it  alters  our  position  altogether." 

There  was  a  murmur  of  assent. 

"  I  should  tell  you  before  you  talk  the  matter  over 
further,"  Bathurst  went  on,  "  that  during  the  last  hour 
some  hundreds  of  peasants  have  taken  up  their  posts 
round  the  house  in  addition  to  the  Sepoy  sentries.  I 
came  back  with  one  party  about  a  hundred  strong.  They 
are  posted  a  couple  of  hundred  yards  or  so  in  front  of 
the  gate.  I  slipped  away  from  them  in  the  dark  and 
made  my  way  here." 

"Well,  gentlemen,  what  do  you  think  we  had  better 
do?  "  the  Major  said;  "  we  are  all  in  the  same  boat,  and  I 
should  like  to  have  your  opinions.  We  may  defend  this 
house  successfully  for  days — possibly  we  may  even  tire 
them  out — but  on  the  other  hand  they  may  prove  too 
strong  for  us.  If  the  wall  were  breached  we  could  hardly 
hope  to  defend  it,  and,  indeed,  if  they  constructed  plenty 
of  ladders  they  could  scale  it  at  night  in  a  score  of  places. 
We  must,  therefore,  regard  the  house  as  our  citadel, 
close  up  the  lower  windows  and  doors  with  sandbags, 
and  defend  it  to  the  last.  Still,  if  they  are  determined, 
the  lookout  is  not  a  very  bright  one." 

"  I  am  in  favor  of  our  cutting  our  way  out,  Major," 
Captain  Forster  said;  "if  we  are  cooped  up  here,  we 
must,  as  you  say,  in  the  long  run  be  beaten." 

"  That  would  be  all  very  well,  Captain  Forster,  if  we 
were  all  men,"  Mr.  Hunter  said.  "  There  are  sixteen  of 
us,  and  there  are  in  all  eighteen  horses,  for  I  and  Far- 
quharson  have  two  each;  but  there  are  eight  women  and 
fourteen  children;  so  all  the  horses  would  have  to  carry 
double.  We  certainly  could  not  hope  to  escape  from 
them  with  our  horses  so  laden;  and  if  they  came  up  with 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

us,  what  fighting  could  we  do  with  women  behind  our 
saddles?  Moreover,  we  certainly  could  not  leave  the 
servants,  who  have  been  true  to  us,  to  the  mercy  of  the 
Sepoys." 

"Besides,  where  could  we  go?"  the  Doctor  asked. 
"  The  garrison  at  Cawnpore,  we  know,  are  besieged  by 
overwhelming  numbers.  We  do  not  know  much  as  to 
the  position  at  Lucknow,  but  certainly  the  Europeans 
are  immensely  outnumbered  there,  und  I  think  we  may 
assume  that  they  are  also  besieged.  It  is  a  very  long  dis- 
tance either  to  Agra  or  to  Allahabad;  and  with  the  whole 
country  up  in  arms  against  us,  and  the  cavalry  here  at 
our  heels,  the  prospect  seems  absolutely  hopeless.  What 
do  you  think,  Doolan?  You  and  Eintoul  have  your  wives 
here,  and  you  have  children.  I  consider  that  the  ques- 
tion concerns  you  married  men  more  than,  us." 

"  It  is  a  case  of  the  frying-pan  and  the  fire,  as  far  as  I 
can  see,  Doctor.  At  any  rate,  here  we  have  got  walls  to 
fight  behind,  and  food  for  weeks,  and  plenty  of  ammuni- 
tion. I  am  for  selling  our  lives  as  dearly  as  we  can  here 
rather  than  go  outside  to  be  chased  like  jackals." 

"  I  agree  with  you,  Doolan,"  Captain  Rintoul  said. 
"Here  we  may  be  able  to  make  terms  with  them,  but 
once  outside  the  walls  we  should  be  at  the  scoundrels' 
mercy.  If  it  were  not  for  the  women  and  children  I 
should  agree  entirely  with  Forster  that  our  best  plan 
would  be  to  throw  open  our  gates  and  make  a  dash  for 
it,  keeping  together  as  long  as  we  could,  and  then,  if 
necessary,  separating  and  trying  to  make  our  way  down 
to  Agra  or  Allahabad  as  best  we  could;  but  with  ladies 
that  does  not  seem  to  be  possible." 

The  opinion  of  the  married  civilians  was  entirely  in 
accord  with  that  of  Mr.  Hunter. 

"  But  what  hope  is  there  of  defending  this  place  in  the 
long  run  ?  "  Captain  Forster  said.  "  If  I  saw  any  chance 
at  all  I  should  be  quite  willing  to  wait;  but  I  would  infi- 
nitely rather  sally  out  at  once  and  go  for  them  and  be 
killed  than  wait  here  day  after  day  and  perhaps  week 
after  week,  seeing  one's  fate  drawing  nearer  inch  by  inch. 
What  do  you  say,  Bathurst?  We  haven't  had  your  opin- 
ion jet."' 


226  RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER. 

"  I  do  not  think  that  the  defense  is  so  hopeless  as  you 
suppose,  although  I  admit  that  the  chances  are  greatly 
against  us,"  Bathurst  said  quietly.  "  I  think  there  is  a 
hope  of  tiring  the  natives  out.  The  Sepoys  know  well 
enough  there  can  be  no  great  amount  of  loot  here,  while 
they  think  that  were  they  at  Cawnpore,  at  Lucknow,  or 
still  more  at  Delhi,  their  chances  of  plunder  »would  be 
much  greater.  Moreover,  I  think  that  men  in  their  posi- 
tion, having  offended,  as  it  were,  without  hope  of  pardon, 
would  naturally  desire  to  flock  together.  There  is  com- 
fort and  encouragement  in  numbers.  Therefore,  I  am 
sure  they  will  very  speedily  become  impatient  if  they  do 
not  meet  with  success,  and  would  be  inclined  to  grant 
terms  rather  than  waste  time  here. 

"  It  is  the  same  thing  with  the  native  gentry.  They 
will  want  to  be  off  to  Lucknow  or  Delhi,  where  they  will 
know  more  how  things  are  going,  and  where,  no  doubt, 
they  reckon  upon  obtaining  posts  of  importance  and  in- 
creased possessions  under  the  new  order  of  things. 
Therefore,  I  think,  they,  as  well  as  the  Sepoys,  are  likely, 
if  they  find  the  task  longer  and  more  difficult  than  they 
expect,  to  be  ready  to  grant  terms.  I  have  no  great  faith 
in  native  oaths.  Still  they  might  be  kept. 

"  Captain  Forster's  proposal  I  regard  as  altogether  im- 
practicable. We  are  something  like  two  hundred  and  fifty 
miles  from  the  nearest  British  post  where  we  could  hope 
to  find  refuge,  and  with  the  horses  carrying  double,  the 
troopers  at  our  heels  directly  we  start,  and  the  country 
hostile,  I  see  no  chance  whatever,  not  a  vestige  of  one, 
of  our  getting  safely  away. 

"  But  there  is  a  third  alternative  by  which  some  might 
escape;  it  is,  that  we  should  make  our  way  out  on  foot, 
break  up  into  parties  of  twos  and  threes;  steal  or  fight 
our  way  through  the  sentries,  and  then  for  each  party 
to  shift  for  itself,  making  its  way  as  best  it  can,  travel- 
ing by  night  and  lying  up  in  woods  or  plantations  by 
day;  getting  food  at  times  from  friendly  natives,  and 
subsisting,  for  the  most  part,  upon  what  might  be  gath- 
ered in  the  fields.  In  that  way  some  might  escape,  but 
the  suffering  and  hardships  of  the  women,  and  children 
would  be  terrible." 


BUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  227 

"  I  agree  with  you,"  Mr.  Hunter  said;  "  such  a  journey 
would  be  frightful  to  contemplate,  and  I  don't  think,  in 
our  case,  that  my  wife  could  possibly  perform  such  a 
journey;  still,  some  might  do  so.  At  any  rate,  I  think 
the  chances  are  better  than  they  would  be  were  we  to 
ride  out  in  a  body.  I  should  suggest,  Major,  when  the 
crisis  seems  to  be  approaching — that  is,  when  it  is  clear 
that  we  can't  defend  ourselves  much  longer — it  would  be 
fair  that  each  should  be  at  liberty  to  try  to  get  out  and 
make  down  the  country." 

"  Certainly,"  the  Major  agreed;  "  we  are  in  a  position 
of  men  on  board  a  sinking  ship  with  the  boats  gone;  we 
should  try  to  the  end  to  save  the  ship,  but  when  all  hope 
of  doing  that  is  over,  each  may  try  to  get  to  shore  as  he 
best  can.  As  long  as  the  house  can  be  defended,  all  must 
remain  and  bear  their  share  in  the  struggle,  but  when  we 
decide  that  it  is  but  a  question  of  hours,  all  who  choose 
will  be  at  liberty  to  try  to  escape." 

"  It  will  be  vastly  more  difficult  then  than  now,"  Cap- 
tain Forster  said;  "  Bathurst  made  his  way  out  to-night 
without  difficulty,  but  they  will  be  a  great  deal  more  vigi- 
lant when  they  know  we  cannot  hold  out  much  longer. 
I  don't  see  how  it  would  be  possible  for  women  and  chil- 
dren to  get  through  them." 

"  We  might  then  adopt  your  scheme,  to  a  certin  extent, 
Forster,"  Major  Hannay  said.  "  We  could  mount,  sally 
out  suddenly,  break  through  their  pickets,  and  as  soon  as 
we  are  beyond  them  scatter;  those  who  like  can  try  to 
make  their  way  down  on  horseback,  those  who  prefer  it 
try  do  so  on  foot.  That  would  at  least  give  us  an  alter- 
native should  the  siege  be  pushed  on  to  the  last,  and  we 
find  ourselves  unable  to  make  terms." 

There  was  general  assent  to  the  Major's  proposal, 
which  seemed  to  offer  better  chances  than  any.  There 
was  the  hope  that  the  mutineers  might  tire  of  the  siege 
and  march  away;  that  if  they  pressed  it,  terms  might  be 
at  last  obtained  from  them,  and  that,  failing  everything 
else,  the  garrison  might  yet  make  their  way  down 
country. 

"  As  there  is  evidently  no  chance  of  an  attack  during 
the  night/'  the  Major  said,  "  we  vnll  divide  into  two 


228  RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER. 

watches  and  relieve  each  other  every  four  hours;  that  will 
give  two  as  lookouts  on  the  roof  and  six  in  the  inclosure. 
As  you  are  senior  officer  next  to  myself,  Doolan,  you  will 
take  charge  of  one  watch;  I  shall  myself  take  charge  of 
the  other.  Forster  and  Wilson  be  with  me,  Eintoul  and 
Kichards  with  you.  Mr.  Hardy,  will  you  and  the  other 
gentlemen  divide  your  numbers  into  two  watches?  Dr. 
Wade  counts  as  a  combatant  until  his  hospital  begins  to 
fill." 

"I  fancy  he  may  be  counted  as  a  combatant  all 
through,"  the  Doctor  muttered. 

"  To-morrow  morning,"  the  Major  went  on,  "  we  will 
continue  the  work  of  filling  sandbags.  There  are  still  a 
large  number  of  empty  bags  on  hand.  We  shall  want 
them  for  all  the  lower  windows  and  doors,  and  the  more 
there  are  of  them  the  better;  and  we  must  also  keep  a 
supply  in  readiness  to  make  a  retrenchment  if  they 
should  breach  the  wall.  Now,  Mr.  Hunter,  as  soon  as 
jou  have  made  out  your  list  my  watch  can  go  on  duty, 
and  I  should  advise  the  others  to  turn  in  without 
delay." 

When  the  ladies  were  informed  that  half  the  men  were 
going  on  watch,  Mrs.  Doolan  said,  "I  have  an  amend- 
ment to  propose,  Major.  Women's  ears  are  just  as  keen 
as  men's,  and  I  propose  that  we  supply  the  sentries  on 
the  roof.  I  will  volunteer  for  one." 

The  whole  of  the  ladies  at  once  volunteered. 

"  There  is  no  occasion  for  so  many,"  Mrs.  Doolan  said; 
"  and  I  propose  that  to-night,  at  any  rate,  I  should  take 
the  first  watch  with  one  of  the  Miss  Hunters,  and  that 
Miss  Hannay  and  the  other  should  take  the  second. 
That  will  leave  all  the  gentlemen  available  for  the  watch 
in  the  inclosure." 

The  proposal  was  agreed  to,  and  in  a  short  time  the 
iirst  watch  had  taken  their  station,  and  the  rest  of  the 
garrison  lay  down  to  rest. 

The  night  passed  off  quietly.  The  first  work  at  which 
the  Major  set  the  garrison  in  the  morning  was  to  form 
six  wooden  stages  against  the  wall.  One  by  the  gate,  one 
against  the  wall  at  the  other  end,  and  two  at  each  of  the 
long  sides  of  the  inclosure.  They  were  twelve  feet  in. 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  229 

height,  which  enabled  those  upon  them  to  stand  head  and 
shoulders  above  the  level  of  the  wall. 

When  these  were  completed  the  whole  of  the  garrison, 
including  the  ladies  and  native  servants,  again  set  to 
work  filling  sandbags  with  earth.  As  fast  as  they  were 
finished  they  were  carried  in  and  piled  two  deep  against 
the  lower  windows,  and  three  deep  against  the  doors, 
only  one  small  door  being  left  undefended,  so  as  to  allow 
a  passage  in  and  out  of  the  house.  Bags  were  piled  in 
readiness  for  closing  this  also  in  case  of  necessity. 

Mrs.  Eintoul  and  another  lady  had  volunteered  for  a 
third  watch  on  the  roof,  so  that  each  watch  would  go  on 
duty  once  every  twelve  hours.  The  whole  of  the  men, 
therefore,  were  available  for  work  below. 

A  scattered  fire  was  opened  at  the  house  soon  after 
daybreak,  and  was  kept  up  without  intermission  from 
bushes  and  other  cover;  but  the  watchers  on  the  roof, 
seated  behind  the  sandbags  at  opposite  angles,  were  well 
under  shelter,  peering  out  occasionally  through  the 
crevices  between  the  bags  to  see  that  no  general  move- 
ment was  taking  place  among  the  enemy. 

About  midday  there  was  a  desultory  discharge  of  fire- 
arms from  the  native  lines;  and  the  Major,  on  ascending 
to  the  roof,  saw  a  procession  of  elephants  and  men  ap- 
proaching the  camp. 

"  I  expect  there  are  guns  there,"  he  muttered,  "  and 
they  are  going  to  begin  in  earnest.  Ladies,  you  are  re- 
lieved of  duty  at  present.  I  expect  we  shall  be  hearing 
from  those  fellows  soon,  and  we  must  have  someone  up 
here  who  can  talk  back  to  them." 

Accordingly  the  Doctor  and  Mr.  Farquharson,  who  was 
the  best  shot  among  the  civilians,  took  the  places  of  the 
ladies  on  the  roof.  Half  an  hour  later  the  Major  went 
up  again. 

"They  have  four  cannon,"  the  Doctor  said.  "There 
they  are,  on  that  slight  rise  to  the  left  of  the  lines.  I 
should  fancy  they  are  about  eight  hundred  yards  away. 
Do  you  see,  there  is  a  crowd  gathering  behind  them? 
Our  rifles  will  carry  that  distance  easilf  enough  I  think. 
You  might  as  well  let  us  have  three  or  four  more  up 
here.  The  two  lads  are  both  fair  shots,  and  Hunter  was 


230  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

considered  a  good  shikari  somE  years  ago.  We  can  drive 
their  cannon  off  that  rise;  the  farther  we  make  them  take 
up  their  post  the  better,  but  even  at  that  distance  their 
shooting  will  be  wild.  The  guns  are  no  doubt  old  ones, 
and,  as  likely  as  not,  the  shot  won't  fit.  At  any  rate, 
though  they  may  trouble  us,  they  will  do  no  serious  harm 
till  they  establish  a  battery  at  pretty  close  quarters/' 

The  Major  went  down,  and  the  two  subalterns  and  Mr. 
Hunter  joined  the  Doctor  on  the  roof. 

Ten  minutes  later  the  boom  of  four  guns  in  quick 
succession  was  heard,  and  the  party  below  stopped  for  a 
moment  at  their  work  as  they  heard  the  sound  of  shot 
rushing  through  the  air  overhead;  then  came  five  shots 
in  answer  from  the  parapet.  Again  and  again  the  rifles 
spoke  out,  and  then  the  Doctor  shouted  down  to  those  in 
the  courtyard,  "  They  have  had  enough  of  it  already,  and 
are  bringing  up  the  elephants  to  move  the  cannon  back. 
Now,  boys,"  he  said  to  the  subalterns,  "  an  elephant  is 
an  easier  mark  than  a  tiger;  aim  carefully,  and  blaze 
away  as  quickly  as  you  like." 

For  five  minutes  a  rapid  fire  was  kept  up;  then  Wilson 
went  below. 

"  The  Doctor  asked  me  to  tell  you,  sir,"  he  said  to  the 
Major,  "  that  the  guns  have  been  removed.  There  has 
been  great  confusion  among  the  natives,  and  we  can  see 
with  our  glasses  eight  or  ten  bodies  left  on  the  ground. 
One  of  the  elephants  turned  and  went  off  at  full  speed 
among  the  crowd,  and  we  fancy  some  of  the  others  were 
hit.  There  was  great  trouble  in  getting  them  to  come 
up  to  the  guns.  The  Doctor  says  it  is  all  over  for  the 
present." 

Two  other  large  parties  with  elephants  were  seen  to 
come  up  to  the  native  lines  in  the  course  of  the  after- 
noon. The  defenders  of  the  roof  had  now  turned  their 
attention  to  their  foes  in  the  gardens  around,  and  the 
fire  thence  was  gradually  suppressed,  until  by  evening 
everything  was  quiet. 

By  this  time  the  work  of  filling  the  sandbags  was  com- 
pleted; the  doors  and  windows  had  been  barricaded,  and 
a  large  pile  of  bags  lay  in  the  inclosure  ready  for  erection. 
•*t  anv  threatened  point. 


RVJUB,  THE  JUGGLER.  231 


CHAPTEE  XY. 

WHEN  the  party  met  at  dinner  they  were  for  a  time 
somewhat  silent,  for  all  were  exhausted  by  their  hard 
work  under  a  blazing  sun,  but  their  spirits  rose  under 
their  surroundings. 

The  native  servants  had  laid  the  table  with  as  scrupu- 
lous care  as  usual;  and,  except  that  there  was  no  display 
of  flowers,  no  change  was  observable. 

All  had  dressed  after  the  work  was  over,  and  the  men 
were  in  white  drill,  and  the  ladies  had,  from  custom, 
put  on  light  evening  gowns. 

The  cook  had  prepared  an  excellent  dinner,  and  as  the 
champagne  went  round  no  stranger  would  have  supposed 
that  the  party  had  met  under  unusual  circumstances. 
The  Doctor  and  the  two  subalterns  were  unaffectedly 
gay,  and  as  the  rest  all  made  an  effort  to  be  cheerful, 
the  languor  that  had  marked  the  commencement  of 
the  dinner  soon  wore  off. 

"  Wilson  and  Richards  are  becoming  quite  sportsmen," 
the  Doctor  said.  "  They  have  tried  their  hands  at  tigers, 
but  could  hardly  have  expected  to  take  part  in  elephant 
Bhooting.  They  can't  quite  settle  between  themselves  as 
to  which  it  was  who  sent  the  Rajah's  elephant  flying 
among  the  crowd.  Both  declare  they  aimed  at  that 
special  beast.  So,  as  there  is  no  deciding  the  point,  we 
must  consider  the  honor  as  divided." 

"  It  was  ratlicr  hard  on  us,"  Isobel  said,  "  to  be  kept 
working  below  instead  of  being  up  there  seeing  what  was 
going  on.  But  I  consider  we  quite  did  our  full  share 
towards  the  defense  to-day.  My  hands  are  quite  sore 
with  sewing  up  the  mouths  of  those  rough  bags.  I  think 
the  chief  honors  that  way  lie  with  Mrs.  Rintoul.  I  am 
sure  she  sewed  more  bags  than  any  of  us.  I  had  no  idea 
that  you  were  such  a  worker,  Mrs.  Rintoul." 

"  I  used  to  be  a  quick  worker,  Miss  Hannay,  till  lately. 
I  have  not  touched  a  needle  since  I  came  out  to  India." 

"  I  should  recommend  you  to  keep  it  up,  Mrs.  Rintoul," 
the  Doctor  said.  "  It  has  done  you  more  good  than  all 
my  medicines.  I  don't  believe  I  have  prescribed  for  you 


132  RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER. 

for  the  last  month,  and  I  haven't  seen  you  looking  so  we'Jt 
since  you  came  out." 

"I  suppose  I  have  not  had  time  to  feel  ill,  Doctor/" 
Mrs.  Rintoul  said,  with  a  slight  smile;  "  all  this  has  been 
a  sort  of  tonic." 

"And  a  very  useful  one,  Mrs.  Eintoul.  We  are  all  of 
us  the  better  for  a  little  stirring  up  sometimes." 

Captain  Forster  had,  as  usual,  secured  a  place  next  to 
Isobel  Hannay.  He  had  been  near  her  all  day,  carrying 
the  bags  as  he  filled  them  to  her  to  sew  up.  Bathurst 
was  sitting  at  the  other  end  of  the  table,  joining  but  little 
in  the  conversation. 

"  I  thought  Bathurst  was  going  to  faint  again  when  the 
firing  began,  Miss  Hannay,"  Captain  Forster  said,  in  a 
low  vmVe.  "  It  was  quite  funny  to  see  him  give  a  littla 
sti..  shot  that  was  fired,  and  his  face  was  as  white- 

as  my  jacket.    I  never  saw  such  a  nervous  fellow." 

"You  know  he  cannot  help  it,  Captain  Forster/' 
Isobel  said  indignantly.  "I  don't  think  it  is  right  to 
make  fun  of  him  for  what  is  a  great  misfortune." 

"I  am  not  making  fun  of  him,  Miss  Hannay.  I  am 
pitying  him." 

"It  did  not  sound  like  it,"  Isobel  said.  "I  don't 
think  you  can  understand  it,  Captain  Forster;  it  must  be 
terrible  to  be  like  that." 

"  I  quite  agree  with  you  there.  I  know  I  should  drown 
myself  or  put  a  bullet  through  my  head  if  I  could  not 
show  ordinary  courage  with  a  lot  of  ladies  going  on  work- 
ing quietly  round  me." 

"You  must  remember  that  Mr.  Bathurst  showed 
plenty  of  courage  in  going  out  among  the  mutineers  last 
night." 

"  Yes,  he  did  that  very  well;  but  you  see,  he  talks  the 
language  so  thoroughly  that,  as  he  said  himself,  there 
was  very  little  risk  in  it." 

"I  don't  like  you  to  talk  so,  Captain  Forster,"  Isobel 
said  quietly.  "I  do  not  see  much  of  Mr.  Bathurst.  I 
have  not  spoken  to  him  half  a  dozen  times  in  the  last 
month:  but  both  my  uncle  and  Dr.  Wade  have  a  high  opin- 
ion of  him,  and  do  not  consider  that  he  should  be  per- 
sonally blamed  for  being  nervous  under  fire.  I  feel  very 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  233 

sorry  for  him,  and  would  much  rather  that  you  did  not 
make  remarks  like  that  about  him.  We  have  all  our 
weak  points,  and,  no  doubt,  many  of  them  are  a  good  deal 
worse  than  a  mere  want  of  nerve/' 

"  Your  commands  shall  be  obeyed,  Miss  Hannay.  I  did 
not  know  that  Bathurst  was  a  protege  of  the  Major's  as 
well  as  of  the  estimable  Doctor,  or  I  would  have  said 
nothing  against  him." 

"  I  don't  think  Mr.  Bathurst  is  the  sort  of  man  to  be 
anyone's  protege,  Captain  Forster,"  Isobel  said  coldly. 
"  However,  I  think  we  had  better  change  the  subject." 

This  Captain  Forster  did  easily  and  adroitly.  He  had 
no  special  feeling  against  Bathurst  save  a  contempt  for 
his  weakness;  and  as  he  had  met  him  but  once  or  twice 
at  the  Major's  since  he  came  to  the  station,  '  ~"V>  \  no 
thought  of  him  in  the  light  of  a  rival. 

Just  as  dinner  was  over  Eichards  and  one  oi  the  civil- 
ians came  down  from  the  terrace. 

"  I  think  that  there  is  something  up,  Major.  I  can  hear 
noises  somewhere  near  where  Mr.  Hunters  bungalow 
was." 

"  What  sort  of  noises,  Eichards?  " 

"  There  is  a  sort  of  murmur,  as  if  there  were  a  good 
many  men  there." 

"  Well,  gentlemen,  we  had  better  go  to  our  posts/'  the 
Major  said.  "  Doolan,  please  place  your  watch  on  the 
platforms  by  the  wall.  I  will  take  my  party  up  onto  the 
terrace.  Doctor,  will  you  bring  up  some  of  those  rockets 
you  made  the  other  day?  We  must  try  and  find  out  what 
they  are  doing." 

As  soon  as  he  gained  the  terrace  with  his  party,  the 
Major  requested  everyone  to  remain  perfectly  still,  and 
going  forward  to  the  parapet  listened  intently.  In  three 
or  four  minutes  he  returned  to  the  others. 

"  There  is  a  considable  body  of  men  at  work  there,'* 
he  said.  "  I  can  hear  muffled  sounds  like  digging,  and 
once  or  twice  a  sharp  click,  as  if  a  spade  struck  a  stone. 
I  am  very  much  afraid  they  are  throwing  up  a  battery 
there.  I  was  in  hopes  they  would  have  begun  in  the 
open,  because  we  could  have  commanded  the  approaches; 
but  if  they  begin  among  the  trees,  they  can  come  in  and 


234  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

out  without  our  seeing  them.,  arid  bring  up  their  guns  by 
the  road  without  our  being  able  to  interfere  with  them. 
Mr.  Bathurst,  will  you  take  down  word  to  Captain  Doolan 
to  put  his  men  on  the  platforms  on  that  side.  Tell  him 
that  I  am  going  to  throw  up  a  rocket,  as  I  believe  they 
are  erecting  a  battery  near  Hunter's  bungalow,  and  that 
his  men  are  to  be  ready  to  give  them  a  volley  if  they  can 
make  them  out.  Tell  them  not  to  expose  themselves  too 
much;  for  if  they  really  are  at  work  there  no  doubt  they 
have  numbers  of  men  posted  in  the  shrubs  all  about  to 
keep  down  our  fire.  Now,  gentlemen,  we  will  all  lie  down 
by  the  parapet.  Take  those  spare  rifles,  and  fire  as 
quickly  as  you  can  while  the  light  of  the  rocket  lasts. 
Now,  Mr.  Wilson,  we  will  get  you  to  send  them  up.  The 
rest  of  you  had  better  get  in  the  corner  and  stoop  down 
behind  the  sandbags;  you  can  lay  your  rifles  on  them,  so 
as  to  be  able  to  fire  as  soon  as  you  have  lit  the  second 
rocket." 

The  Doctor  soon  came  up  with  the  rockets;  he  had 
made  three  dozen  the  week  before,  and  a  number  of  bhiG 
lights,  for  the  special  purpose  of  detecting  any  movement 
that  the  enemy  might  make  at  night. 

"  I  will  fire  them  myself,"  he  said,  as  Wilson  offered  to 
take  them.  "  I  have  had  charge  of  the  fireworks  in  a 
score  of  fetes  and  that  sort  of  thing,  and  am  a  pretty  good 
hand  at  it.  There,  we  will  lean  them  against  the  sand- 
bags. That  is  about  it.  Now,  are  you  all  ready,  Major?  " 

"  All  ready! "  replied  the  Major. 

The  Doctor  placed  the  end  of  his  lighted  cheroot 
against  the  touch-paper,  there  was  a  momentary  pause, 
then  a  rushing  sound,  and  the  rocket  soared  high  in  the 
air,  and  then  burst,  throwing  out  four  or  five  white  fire- 
balls, which  lit  up  clearly  the  spot  they  were  watching. 

"  There  they  are!  "  the  Major  exclaimed;  "  just  to  the 
right  of  the  bungalow;  there  are  scores  of  them." 

The  rifles,  both  from  the  terrace  and  the  platforms 
below,  cracked  out  in  rapid  succession,  and  another  rocket 
flew  up  into  the  air  and  burst.  Before  its  light  had  faded 
out,  each  of  the  defenders  had  fired  his  four  shots. 
Shouts  and  cries  from  the  direction  in  which  they  fired 
showed  that  many  of  the  bullets  had  told,  whilst  almost 


HE   WAS   RIDING  AT   FULL   SPEED   FOR  THE   COUliTHOUSE.- 
Rujub   the  Juggltr. 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  235 

immediately  a  sharp  fire  broke  out  from  the  bushes  round 
them. 

"  Don't  mind  the  fellows  in  the  shrubs,"  the  Major 
said,  "  but  keep  up  your  fire  on  the  battery.  We  know 
its  exact  position  now,  though  we  cannot  actually  make 
them  out." 

"  Let  them  wait  while  I  go  down  and  get  a  bit  of  phos- 
phorus," the  Doctor  said.  "  I  have  some  in  the  surgery. 
They  will  only  throw  away  their  fire  in  the  dark  withoiit 
it." ' 

He  soon  returned,  and  when  all  the  fore  and  back 
sights  had  been  rubbed  by  the  phosphorus  the  firing 
recommenced,  and  the  Doctor  sent  Wilson  down  with  the 
phosphorus  to  the  men  on  the  platforms  facing  the 
threatened  point. 

Bathurst  was  returning,  after  having  given  the  message 
to  Captain  Doolan,  when  Mrs.  Hunter  met  him  in  the 
passage.  She  put  her  hand  kindly  on  his  shoulder. 

"  Now,  Mr.  Bathurst,  if  you  will  take  my  advice  you 
will  remain  quietly  here.  The  Doctor  tells  me  they  are 
going  to  open  fire,  and  it  is  not  the  least  use  your  going 
there  exposing  yourself  to  be  shot  when  you  know  that 
you  will  be  of  no  use.  You  showed  us  yesterday  that 
you  could  be  of  use  in  other  ways,  and  I  have  no  doubt 
you  will  have  opportunities  of  doing  so  again.  I  can 
assure  you  none  of  us  will  think  any  the  worse  of  you  for 
not  being  able  to  struggle  against  a  nervous  affection  that 
gives  you  infinite  pain.  If  they  were  attacking  it  would 
be  different;  I  know  you  would  be  wanting  to  take  your 
share  then." 

"  Thank  you,  Mrs.  Hunter,"  he  said,  "  but  I  must  go 
up.  I  grant  that  I  shall  be  of  no  use,  but  at  least  I  will 
take  any  chance  that  the  others  run  of  being  shot.  A 
man  does  not  flinch  from  a  painful  operation,  and,  what- 
ever the  pain,  it  has  to  be  faced.  I  may  get  used  to  it 
in  time;  but  whether  I  do  or  not  I  must  go  through  it, 
though  I  do  not  say  it  doesn't  hurt." 

At  this  moment  the  rattle  of  musketry  broke  out 
above.  Bathurst  gave  a  violent  start,  and  a  low  cry  as  of 
pain;  then  he  rushed  past  Mrs.  Hunter  and  up  the  stair- 
case to  the  terrace,  when  he  staggered  rather  than  walked 


236  RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER. 

forward  to  the  parapet,  and  threw  himself  down  beside 
two  figures  who  were  in  the  act  of  firing. 

"Is  that  you,  Bathurst?"  the  Major's  voice  asked. 
"  Mind,  man,  don't  lift  your  head  above  the  sandbags 
in  that  way.  There,  you  had  best  lie  quiet;  ttye  natives 
have  no  idea  of  attacking,  and  it  is  of  no  use  throwing 
away  valuable  ammunition  by  firing  unless  your  hand  is 
steady." 

But  Bathurst  did  not  hear,  and  remained  with  his  head 
above  the  line  of  sandbags  until  the  Major  put  his  hand 
on  his  shoulder  and  forced  him  down.  He  might  have 
put  his  hands  over  his  ears  to  deaden  the  sound — for  in 
the  darkness  no  one  would  have  seen  the  action — but  he 
would  not  do  so,  but  witn  clenched  teeth  and  quivering 
nerves  lay  there  until  the  Major  said,  "  I  fancy  we  have 
stopped  them  working.  Now,  Doctor,  do  you,  Hunter, 
Bathurst,  and  Farquharson  go  and  lie  down  for  four 
hours,  when  I  will  send  for  you  to  take  our  places.  Be- 
fore you  lie  down  will  you  tell  Doolan  to  send  half  his 
party  in?  Of  course  you  will  lie  down  in  your  clothes, 
ready  to  fall  in  at  your  posts  at  a  moment's  notice." 

"Let  me  send  another  rocket  up  first,  Major,  to  see 
what  they  are  doing.  We  can  sleep  to-morrow  in  the 
daytime;  they  won't  dare  to  work  under  our  fire  then. 
Now,  get  ready,  gentlemen,  and  don't  throw  away  a  shot, 
if  they  are  still  working  there." 

The  light  of  the  rocket  showed  that  there  were  now 
no  natives  at  the  spot  where  they  had  been  seen  at  work. 

"  I  thought  it  would  be  too  hot  for  them,  Major,  at 
such  close  quarters  as  these.  We  must  have  played  the 
viischief  with  them." 

"  All  the  better,  Doctor;  we  will  send  a  few  shots  there 
occasionally  to  show  them  we  have  not  forgotten  them. 
But  the  principal  thing  will  be  to  keep  our  ears  open  to 
see  that  they  don't  bring  up  ladders  and  try  a  rush." 

"I  think  there  is  no  fear  of  that  to-night,  Major. 
They  would  not  have  set  to  work  at  the  battery  if  they 
had  any  idea  of  trying  to  scale  the  wall  with  ladders. 
That  will  come  later  on;  but  I  don't  think  you  will  be 
troubled  any  more  to-night,  except  by  tbese  fellows  firing 
away  from  the  bushes,  and  I  should  think  they  would 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  237 

get  tired  of  wasting  their  ammunition  soon.    It  is  for- 
tunate v,re  brought  all  the  spare  ammunition  in  here." 

"  Yes,  they  only  had  ten  rounds  of  ball  cartridge,  and 

that  must  be  nearly  used  up  by  this  time.     They  will 

have  to  make  up  their  cartridges  in  future,  and  cast  their 

b  :!ots,  unless  they  can  get  a  supply  from  some  of  the 

••  mutineers." 

"  Well,  you  will  send  for  us  in  four  hours,  Major?  " 

"  You  need  not  be  afraid  of  my  forgetting." 

Dawn  was  just  breaking  when  the  relief  were  called 
up;  the  firing  had  died  away,  and  all  was  quiet. 

"  You  will  take  command  here,  Rintoul,"  the  Major 
said.  "  I  should  keep  Farquharson  up  here,  if  I  were  you, 
and  leave  the  Doctor  and  Bathurst  to  look  after  things 
in  general.  I  think,  Doctor,  it  would  be  as  well  if  we 
appointed  Bathurst  in  charge  of  the  general  arrange- 
ments of  the  house.  We  have  a  good  amount  of  stores, 
but  the  servants  will  waste  them  if  they  are  not  looked 
after.  I  should  put  them  on  rations,  Bathurst;  and  there 
might  be  regular  rations  of  things  served  out  for  us  too; 
then  it  would  fall  in  your  province  to  see  that  the  syces 
water  and  feed  the  horses.  You  will  examine  the  well 
regularly,  and  note  whether  there  is  any  change  in  the 
look  of  the  water.  I  think  you  will  find  plenty  to  do." 

"  Thank  you,  Major,"  Bathurst  said.  "  I  appreciate 
yo-T  kindness,  and  for  the  present,  at  any  rate,  will 
glndh'  undertake  the  work  of  looking  after  the  stores 
a  '  servants;  but  there  is  one  thing  I  have  been  thinking 
o  and  which  I  should  like  to  speak  to  you  about  at 
c  if  you  could  spare  a  minute  or  two  before  you 
t  in." 

7 hat  is  that,  Bathurst?" 

.  think  that  we  are  agreed,  Major,  that  though  we 
ir  hold  this  place  for  a  time,  sooner  or  later  we  must 
either  surrender  or  the  place  be  carried  by  storm." 

Major  Hannay  nodded. 

"  That  is  what  it  must  come  to,  Bathurst.  If  they  will 
at  last  grant  us  terms,  well  and  good;  if  not,  we  must 
either  try  to  escape  or  die  fighting." 

"  It  is  about  the  escape  I  have  been  thinking,  Major; 
as  our  position  grows  more  and  more  desperate  they  will 


838  RUJDB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

close  round  us,  and  although  we  might  have  possibly  got 
through  last  night,  our  chances  of  doing  so  when  they 
have  once  broken  into  the  inclosure  and  begin  to  attack 
the  house  itself  are  very  slight.  A  few  of  us  who  can 
speak  the  language  well  might  possibly  in  disguise  get 
away,  but  it  would  be  impossible  for  the  bulk  of  us  to 
do  so." 

"  I  quite  see  that,  Bathurst." 

"  My  proposal  is,  Major,  that  we  should  begin  at  once 
to  mine;  that  is,  to  drive  a  gallery  from  the  cellar,  and  to 
carry  it  on  steadily  as  far  as  we  can.  I  should  say  that 
we  have  ten  days  or  a  fortnight  before  us  before  matters 
get  to  an  extremity,  and  in  that  time  we  ought  to  be  able 
to  get,  working  night  and  day,  from  fifty  to  a  hundred 
yards  beyond  the  wall,  aiming  at  a  clump  of  bushes. 
There  is  a  large  one  in  Farquharson's  compound,  about 
a  hundred  yards  off.  Then,  when  things  get  to  the  worst, 
•we  can  work  upwards,  and  come  out  on  a  dark  night. 
We  might  leave  a  long  fuse  burning  in  the  magazine,  so 
that  there  should  be  an  erplosion  an  hour  or  two  after 
we  had  left.  There  is  enough  powder  there  to  bring  the 
house  down,  and  the  Sepoys  might  suppose  that  we  had 
all  been  buried  in  the  ruins." 

"  I  think  the  idea  is  a  very  good  one,  Bathurst.  "What 
do  you  think,  Doctor?" 

"  Capital,"  the  Doctor  said.  €t  It  is  a  light  sandy  soil, 
and  we  should  be  able  to  get  through  it  at  a  pretty  good 
rate.  How  many  can  work  together,  do  you  think, 
Bathurst?" 

"  I  should  say  two  of  us  in  each  shift,  to  drive,  and,  if 
necessary,  prop  the  roof,  with  some  of  the  natives  to  carry 
out  the  earth.  If  we  have  three  shifts,  each  shift  would 
go  on  twice  in  the  twenty-four  hours;  that  would  be 
four  hours  on  and  eight  hours  off." 

"Will  you  take  charge  of  the  operation,  Bathurst?" 

"With  pleasure,  Major." 

"Very  well  then.  You  shall  have  with  you  Wilson 
and  Richards  and  the  three  youngest  of  the  civilians, 
Saunderson,  Austin,  and  Herbert.  You  six  will  be  re- 
lieved from  other  duty  except  when  the  enemy  threaten 
an  attack.  I  will  put  down  Saunderson  and  Austin  to- 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  239 

gether.  Which  of  the  others  would  you  like  to  have 
with  you?" 

"  I  will  take  Wilson,  sir." 

"  Very  well,  then,  Bichards  and  Herbert  will  make  the 
third  party.  After  breakfast  we  can  pick  out  the  twelve 
strongest  of  the  natives.  I  will  tell  them  that  they  have 
to  work,  but  that  they  will  be  each  paid  half  a  rupee  a 
day  in  addition  to  their  ordinary  wages.  Then  you  will 
give  a  general  supervision  to  the  work,  Bathurst,  in  addi- 
tion to  your  own  share  in  it?  " 

"  Certainly,  Major,  I  will  take  general  charge  of  it." 

So  at  breakfast  the  Major  explained  the  plan  agreed 
upon.  The  five  men  chosen  at  once  expressed  their  will- 
ingness to  undertake  the  work,  and  the  offer  of  half  a 
rupee  extra  a  day  was  sufficient  to  induce  twelve  of  the 
servants  to  volunteer  for  it.  The  Major  went  down  to 
the  cellars  and  fixed  upon  the  spot  at  which  the  work 
should  begin;  and  Bathurst  and  Wilson,  taking  some  of 
the  intrenching  tools  from  the  storeroom,  began  to  break 
through  the  wall  without  delay. 

"  I  like  this,"  Wilson  said.  "  It  is  a  thousand  times 
better  than  sitting  up  there  waiting  till  they  choose  to 
make  an  attack.  How  wide  shall  we  make  it?" 

"  As  narrow  as  we  can  for  one  to  pass  along  at  a  time," 
Bathurst  said.  "  The  narrower  it  is,  the  less  trouble  we 
shall  have  with  the  roof." 

"  But  only  one  will  be  able  to  work  at  a  time  in  that 
case." 

"  That  will  be  quite  enough,"  Bathurst  said.  "  It  will 
be  hot  work  and  hard.  We  will  relieve  each  other  every 
five  minutes  or  so." 

A  very  short  time  sufficed  to  break  through  the  wall. 

"Thank  goodness,  it  is  earth,"  Wilson  said,  thrusting 
a  crowbar  through  the  opening  as  soon  as  it  was  made. 

"  I  had  no  fear  of  its  being  rock,  Wilson.  If  it  had 
been,  they  would  not  have  taken  the  trouble  to  have 
walled  the  sides  of  the  cellar.  The  soil  is  very  deep  all 
over  here.  The  natives  have  to  line  their  wells  thirty  or 
forty  feet  down." 

The  enemy  were  quiet  all  day,  but  the  garrison  thought 
it  likely  that,  warned  by  the  lesson  of  the  night  before, 


240  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

they  were  erecting  a  battery  some  distance  farther  baok, 
masked  by  the  trees,  and  that  until  it  was  ready  to  open 
fire  they  would  know  nothing  about  it. 

"  So  you  have  turned  miner,  Mr.  Wilson?  "  Isobel  Han- 
nay  said  to  him  as,  after  a  change  and  a  bath,  he  came  in 
to  get  his  lunch. 

"  I  calculate  I  have  lost  half  a  stone  in  weight,  Miss 
Hannay.  If  I  were  to  go  on  at  this  for  a  month  or  two 
there  would  be  nothing  left  of  me." 

"And  how  far  did  you  drive  the  hole?" 

"  Gallery,  Miss  Hannay;  please  call  it  a  gallery,  it 
sounds  so  much  better.  We  got  in  five  yards.  I  should 
hardly  have  believed  it  possible,  but  Bathurst  is  a  tre- 
mendous fellow  to  work.  He  uses  a  pick  as  if  he  had 
been  a  sapper  all  his  life.  We  kept  the  men  pretty  hard 
at  work,  I  can  tell  you,  carrying  up  the  earth.  Eichards 
is  at  work  now,  and  I  bet  him  five  rupees  that  he  and 
Herbert  don't  drive  as  far  as  we  did." 

"  There  is  not  much  use  in  betting  now,  Mr.  Wilson," 
Isobel  said  sadly. 

"No,  I  suppose  not,  Miss  Hannay;  but  it  gives  a  sort 
of  interest  to  one's  work.  I  have  blistered  my  hands 
horribly,  but  I  suppose  they  will  get  hard  in  a  day  or 
two." 

"  I  wish  we  could  work  at  something,"  Isobel  said. 
"  Now  that  we  have  finished  with  the  bags  and  bandages, 
the  time  seems  very  long;  the  only  thing  there  is  to  do  is 
to  play  with  the  children  and  try  to  keep  them  good;  it  is 
fortunate  there  is  a  bit  of  garden  for  them  to  play  in." 

"It  is  not  much  of  a  garden,  Miss  Hannay.  We  had 
something  like  a  garden  when  I  was  a  boy  at  home;  the 
governor's  is  a  jolly  old  rectory,  with  a  splendid  garden. 
What  fun  we  used  to  have  there  when  I  was  a  young  one! 
I  wonder  what  the  dear  old  governor  and  mater  would 
say  if  they  knew  the  fix  we  were  in  here.  You  know, 
sometimes  I  think  that  Forster's  plan  was  the  best,  and 
that  it  would  be  better  to  try  and  make  a  dash  through 
them." 

"  We  are  in  your  way,  Mr.  Wilson;  you  wouldn't  be  able 
to  do  much  fighting  if  you  had  one  of  us  clinging  to 
you." 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  241 

"I  don't  know,  Miss  Hannay,"  Wilson  said  quietly, 
"what  my  fighting  powers  are,. but  I  fancy  if  you  were 
clinging  to  me  I  could  cut  my  way  through  a  good  deal." 

"  I  am  sure  you  would  do  anything  that  anyone  could 
do/'  the  girl  said  kindly;  "  but  whatever  you  might  feel, 
having  another  person  behind  you  could  not  but  hamper 
you  awfully.  I  would  infinitely  rather  try  to  escape  on 
foot,  for  then  I  should  be  relying  on  myself,  while  if  I 
was  riding  behind  anyone,  and  we  were  pursued  or  at- 
tacked, I  should  feel  all  the  time  I  was  destroying  his 
chances,  and  that  if  it  were  not  for  me  he  would  get 
away.  That  would  be  terrible.  I  don't  know  whether 
we  were  wise  to  stay  here  instead  of  trying  to  escape  at 
once;  but  as  uncle  and  Mr.  Hunter  and  the  others  all 
thought  it  wiser  to  stay,  I  have  no  doubt  it  was;  but  I 
am  quite  sure  that  it  could  not  have  been  a  good  plan  to 
go  off  like  that  on  horseback." 

Another  day  passed  quietly,  and  then  during  the  night 
the  watch  heard  the  sounds  of  blows  with  axes,  and  of 
falling  trees. 

"  They  are  clearing  the  ground  in  front  of  their  bat- 
tery," the  Major,  who  was  on  the  watch  with  his  party, 
said;  "  it  will  begin  in  earnest  to-morrow  morning.  The 
sound  came  from  just  where  we  expected.  It  is  about 
in  the  same  line  as  where  they  made  their  first  attempt, 
but  a  hundred  yards  or  so  further  back." 

At  daylight  they  saw  that  the  trees  and  bushes  had 
been  leveled,  and  a  battery,  with  embrazures  for  six  guns, 
erected  at  a  distance  of  about  four  hundred  yards  from 
the  house.  More  sandbags  were  at  once  brought  up  from 
below,  and  tha  parapet,  on  the  side  facing  the  battery, 
raised  two  feet  and  doubled  in  thickness.  The  garrison 
were  not  disturbed  while  so  engaged. 

"Why  the  deuce  don't  the  fellows  begin?"  Captain 
Forster  said  impatiently,  as  he  stood  looking  over  the 
parapet  when  the  work  was  finished. 

"  I  expect  they  are  waiting  for  the  Rajah  and  some  of 
the  principal  Zemindars  to  come  down,"  replied  the 
Major;  "  the  guns  are  theirs,  you  sea,  and  will  most  likely 
be  worked  by  their  own  followers.  'No  doubt  they  think 
they  will  knock  the  place  to  pieces  in  a  few  minutes. 


242  RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER. 

Listen!  there  is  music;  they  are  coming  in  grand  state. 
Rintoul,  will  you  tell  the  workers  in  the  mine  to  come 
up.  By  the  way,  who  are  at  work  now?  " 

"  Bathurst  and  Wilson,  sir." 

"  Then  tell  Wilson  to  come  up,  and  request  Bathurst 
to  go  on  with  the  gallery.  Tell  him  I  want  that  pushed 
forward  as  fast  as  possible,  and  that  one  gun  will  not 
make  much  difference  here.  Request  the  ladies  and  chil- 
dren to  go  down  into  the  storeroom  for  the  present.  I 
don't  think  the  balls  will  go  through  the  wall,  but  it  is  as 
well  to  be  on  the  safe  side." 

Captain  Rintoul  delivered  his  message  to  the  ladies. 
They  had  already  heard  that  the  battery  had  been  un- 
masked and  was  ready  to  open  fire,  and  lamps  had  been 
placed  in  the  storeroom  in  readiness  for  them.  There 
were  pale  faces  among  them,  but  their  thoughts  were  of 
those  on  the  roof  rather  than  of  themselves. 

Mrs.  Hunter  took  up  the  Bible  she  had  been  reading, 
and  said,  "  Tell  them,  Captain  Rintoul,  we  shall  be  pray- 
ing for  them."  The  ladies  went  into  the  room  that 
served  as  a  nursery,  and  with  the  ayahs  -and  other  female 
servants  carried  the  children  down  into  the  storeroom. 

"I  would  much  rather  be  up  there/'  Isobel  said  to 
Mrs.  Doolan;  "  we  could  load  the  muskets  for  them,  and 
I  don't  think  it  would  be  anything  like  so  bad  if  we  could 
see  what  was  going  on  as  being  cooped  up  below  fancying 
the  worst  all  the  time." 

"I  quite  agree  with  you,  but  men  never  will  get  to 
understand  women.  Perhaps  before  we  are  done  they 
will  recognize  the  fact  that  we  are  no  more  afraid  than 
they  are." 

The  music  was  heard  approaching  along  the  road  where 
the  bungalows  had  stood.  Presently  a  number  of  flags 
were  raised  in  the  battery  amid  a  great  beating  of  drums. 
On  the  previous  day  a  flagstaff  had  been  erected  on  the 
roof,  and  a  Union  Jack  was  run  up  in  answer  to  the 
enemy's  demonstration. 

"  A  cheer  for  the  old  flag,  lads,"  the  Major  said;  and 
a  hearty  cheer  broke  from  the  little  party  on  the  roof, 
where,  with  the  exception  of  Bathurst,  all  the  garrison 
.were  assembled.  The  cheer  was  answered  by  a  yell  from 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  243 

the  natives  not  only  in  the  battery,  but  from  the  gardens 
and  inclosures  round  the  house. 

"  Pay  no  attention  to  the  fellows  in  the  gardens,"  the 
Major  said;  "  fire  at  their  guns — they  must  expose  them- 
selves to  load." 

The  men  were  kneeling  behind  the  parapet,  where  the 
sandbags  had  been  so  arranged  that  they  could  see 
through  between  those  on  the  upper  line,  and  thus 
fire  without  raising  their  heads  above  it. 

"  Shall  we  wait  for  them  or  fire  first,  Major? "  the 
Doctor  asked. 

"  I  expect  the  guns  are  loaded  and  laid,  Doctor;  but 
if  you  see  a  head  looking  along  them,  by  all  means  take  a 
shot  at  it.  I  wish  we  could  see  down  into  the  battery 
itself,  but  it  is  too  high  for  that." 

The  Doctor  lay  looking  along  his  rifle.  Presently  he 
fired,  and  as  if  it  had  been  the  signal  five  cannon  boomed 
out  almost  at  the  same  moment,  the  other  being  fired  a 
quarter  of  a  minute  later.  Three  of  the  shot  struck  the 
kcuse  below  the  parapet,  the  others  went  overhead. 

"  I  hit  my  man,"  the  Doctor  said,  as  he  thrust  another 
rifle  through  the  loophole.  "  Now,  we  will  see  if  we  can 
keep  them  from  loading." 

Simultaneously  with  the  roar  of  the  cannon  a  rattle 
of  musketry  broke  out  on  three  sides  of  the  house,  and  a 
hail  of  bullets  whistled  over  the  heads  of  the  defenders, 
who  opened  a  steady  fire  at  the  embrasures  of  the  guns. 
These  had  been  run  in,  and  the  natives  could  be  seen 
loading  them.  The  Major  examined  the  work  through  a 
pair  of  field-glasses. 

"You  are  doing  well,"  he  said  presently;  "I  have 
seen  several  of  them  fall,  and  there  is  a  lot  of  confusion 
among  them;  they  will  soon  get  tired  of  that  game." 

Slowly  and  irregularly  the  guns  were  nn  out  again, 
and  the  fire  of  the  defenders  was  redoubled  to  prevent 
them  from  taking  aim.  Only  one  shot  hit  the  house  this 
time,  the  others  all  going  overhead.  The  fire  of  the 
enemy  became  slower  and  more  irregular,  and  at  the  end 
of  an  hour  ceased  almost  entirely. 

"  Doctor,"  the  Major  said,  "  I  will  get  you  and  Far- 
quharson  to  turn  your  attention  to  some  fellows  there 


244  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

are  in  that  high  ties  over  there.  They  command  us  com- 
pletely, and  many  of  their  bullets  have  struck  on  the 
terrace  behind  us.  It  would  not  be  safe  to  move  across 
to  the  stairs  now.  I  think  we  have  pretty  well  silenced 
the  battery  for  the  present.  Here  are  my  glasses.  With 
them  you  can  easily  make  out  the  fellows  among  the 
leaves." 

"  I  see  them,"  the  Doctor  said,  handing  the  glasses  to 
Farquharson;  "  we  will  soon  get  them  out  of  that.  Now, 
Farquharson,  you  take  that  fellow  out  on  the  lower 
branch  to  the  right;  I  will  take  the  one  close  to  the  trunk 
on  the  same  branch." 

Laying  their  rifles  on  the  upper  row  of  sandbags,  the 
two  men  took  a  steady  aim.  They  fired  almost  together, 
and  two  bodies  were  seen  to  fall  from  the  tree. 

"Well  shot!"  the  Major  exclaimed.  "There  are 
something  like  a  dozen  of  them  up  there;  but  they  will 
soon  clear  out  if  you  keep  that  up." 

"  They  are  not  more  than  two  hundred  yards  away," 
the  Doctor  said,  "  and  firing  from  a  rest  we  certainly 
ought  not  to  miss  them  at  that  distance.  Give  me  the 
glasses  again." 

A  similar  success  attended  the  next  two  shots,  and 
then  a  number  of  figures  were  seen  hastily  climbing 
down. 

"  Give  them  a  volley,  gentlemen,"  the  Major  said. 

A  dozen  guns  were  fired,  and  three  more  men  dropped, 
and  an  angry  yell  from  the  natives  answered  the  shout 
of  triumph  from  the  garrison. 

"  Will  you  go  down,  Mr.  Hunter,  and  tell  the  ladies 
that  we  have  silenced  the  guns  for  the  present,  and  that 
no  one  has  received  a  scratch?  Now,  let  us  see  what 
damage  their  balls  have  effected." 

This  was  found  to  be  trifling.  The  stonework  of  the 
house  was  strong,  and  the  guns  were  light.  The  stone- 
work of  one  of  the  windows  was  broken,  and  two  or  three 
stones  in  the  wall  cracked.  One  ball  had  entered  a  win- 
dow, torn  its  way  through  two  inner  walls,  and  lay 
against  the  back  wall. 

"It  is  a  four-pound  ball,"  the  Major  said,  taking  it 
up.  "I  fancy  the  guns  are  seven-pounders.  They  have 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  345 

evidently  no  balls  to  fit,,  whioh  accounts  for  the  badness 
of  their  firing  and  the  little  damage  they  did;  with  so 
much  windage  the  balls  can  have  had  but  small  velocity. 
Well,  that  is  a  satisfactory  beginning,  gentlemen;  they 
will  take  a  long  time  to  knock  the  place  about  our  ears 
at  this  rate.  Now  we  will  see  if  we  cannot  clear  them  out 
of  the  gardens.  Captain  Doolan,  will  you  take  the 
glasses  and  watch  the  battery;  if  you  see  any  movement 
about  the  guns,  the  fire  will  be  reopened  at  once;  until 
then  all  will  devote  their  attention  to  those  fellows 
among  the  bushes;  it  is  important  to  teach  them  that  they 
are  not  safe  there,  for  a  chance  ball  might  come  in  be- 
tween the  sandbags.  Each  of  you  pick  out  a  particular 
bush,  and  watch  it  till  you  see  the  exact  position  in  which 
anyone  firing  from  it  must  be  in,  and  then  try  to  silence 
him.  Don't  throw  away  a  shot  if  you  can  help  it.  We 
have  a  good  stock  of  ammunition,  but  it  is  as  well  not  to 
waste  it.  I  will  leave  you  in  command  at  present, 
Doolan." 

Major  Hannay  then  went  down  to  the  storeroom. 

"  I  have  come  to  relieve  you  from  your  confinement, 
ladies,"  he  said.  "  I  am  glad  to  say  that  we  find  their 
balls  will  not  penetrate  the  walls  of  the  house  alone,  and 
there  is  therefore  no  fear  whatever  of  their  passing 
through  them  and  the  garden  wall  together;  therefore, 
as  long  as  the  wall  is  intact,  there  is  no  reason  whatever 
why  you  should  not  remain  on  the  floor  above.'* 

There  was  a  general  exclamation  of  pleasure. 

"  That  will  be  vastly  better,  uncle,"  Isobel  said;  "  it 
is  hateful  being  hidden  away  down  here  when  we  have 
nothing  to  do  but  to  listen  to  the  firing;  we  don't  see 
why  some  of  us  should  not  go  up  on  the  terrace  to  load 
the  rifles  for  you." 

"  Not  at  present,  Isobel;  we  are  not  pressed  yet. 
When  it  comes  to  a  real  attack  it  will  be  time  to  consider 
about  that.  I  don't  think  any  of  us  would  shoot 
straighter  if  there  were  women  right  up  among  us  in 
danger." 

"  I  don't  at  all  see  why  it  should  be  worse  our  being 
in  danger  than  for  you  men,  Major,"  Mrs.  Doolan  said; 
"  we  have  just  as  much  at  stake,  and  more;  and  I  warn 


246  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

you  I  shall  organize  a  female  mutiny  if  we  are  not  allowed 
to  help." 

The  Major  laughed. 

"  Well,  Mrs.  Doolan,  I  shall  have  to  convert  this  store- 
room into  a  prison,  and  all  who  defy  my  authority  will 
be  immured  here,  so  now  you  know  the  consequence  of 
disobedience." 

"  And  has  no  one  been  hurt  with  all  that  firing,  Major 
Hannay?"  Mary  Hunter  asked. 

"  A  good  many  people  have  been  hurt,  Miss  Hunter, 
but  no  one  on  our  side.  I  fancy  we  must  have  made  it 
very  hot  for  those  at  the  guns,  and  the  Doctor  and  Mr. 
Farquharson  have  been  teaching  them  not  to  climb  trees. 
At  present  that  firing  you  hear  is  against  those  who  are 
hiding  in  the  gardens." 

An  hour  later  the  firing  ceased  altogether,  the  natives 
finding  the  fire  of  the  defenders  so  deadly  that  they  no 
longer  dared,  by  discharging  a  rifle,  to  show  where  they 
were  hiding.  They  had  drawn  off  from  the  more  distant 
clumps  and  bushes,  but  dared  not  try  and  crawl  from 
those  nearer  the  house  until  after  nightfall. 

The  next  morning  it  was  found  that  during  the  night 
the  enemy  had  closed  up  their  embrasures,  leaving  only 
openings  sufficiently  large  for  the  muzzles  of  the  guns 
to  be  thrust  through,  and  soon  after  daybreak  they  re- 
newed their  fire.  The  Doctor  and  Mr.  Farquharson  alone 
remained  on  the  roof,  and  throughout  the  day  they  kept 
up  a  steady  fire  at  these  openings  whenever  the  guns 
were  withdrawn.  Several  of  the  sandbags  were  knocked 
off  the  parapet  during  the  course  of  the  day,  and  a  few 
shot  found  their  way  through  the  walls  of  the  upper 
story,  but  beyond  this  no  damage  was  done.  The  mining 
was  kept  up  with  great  vigor,  and  the  gallery  advanced 
rapidly,  the  servants  finding  it  very  hard  work  to  remove 
the  earth  as  fast  as  the  miners  brought  it  down. 

Captain  Forster  offered  to  go  out  with  three  others  at 
night  to  try  and  get  into  the  battery  and  spike  the  guns, 
but  Major  Hannay  would  not  permit  the  attempt  to  be 
made. 

"  We  know  they  have  several  other  guns,"  he  said. 
*and  the  risk  would  be  altogether  too  great,  for  there 


RVJVB,  THE  JUGGLER.  247 

xrould  be  practically  no  chance  of  your  getting  back  and 
being  drawn  up  over  the  wall  before  you  were  overtaken, 
even  if  you  succeeded  in  spiking  the  guns.  There  are 
probably  a  hundred  men  sleeping  in  the  battery,  and  it 
is  likely  they  would  have  sentries  out  in  front  of  it.  The 
loss  of  four  men  would  seriously  weaken  the  garrison." 

The  next  morning  another  battery  to  the  left  was 
unmasked,  and  on  the  following  day  three  guns  were 
planted,  under  cover,  so  as  to  play  against  the  gate.  The 
first  battery  now  concentrated  its  fire  upon  the  outer 
wall,  the  new  battery'  played  upon  the  upper  part  of  the 
house,  and  the  three  guns  kept  up  a  steady  fire  at  the 
gate. 

There  was  little  rest  for  the  besieged  now.  It  was  a 
constant  duel  between  their  rifles  and  the  guns,  varied 
by  their  occasionally  turning  their  attention  to  men  who 
climbed  trees,  or  who,  from  the  roofs  of  some  buildings 
still  standing,  endeavored  to  keep  down  their  fire. 

Wilson  had  been  released  from  his  labors  in  the  gallery, 
Bathurst  undertaking  to  get  down  the  earth  single-handed 
as  fast  as  the  servants  could  remove  it. 

"I  never  saw  such  a  fellow  to  work,  Miss  Hannay," 
Wilson  said  one  day,  when  he  was  off  duty,  and  happened 
to  find  her  working  alone  at  some  bandages.  "  I  know 
you  don't  like  him,  but  he  is  a  firt-rate  fellow  if  there 
ever  was  one.  It  is  unlucky  for  him  being  so  nervous  at 
the  guns;  but  that  is  no  fault  of  his,  after  all,  and  I  am 
sure  in  other  things  he  is  as  cool  as  possible.  Yesterday 
I  was  standing  close  to  him,  shoving  the  earth  back  to 
the  men  as  he  got  it  down.  Suddenly  he  shouted,  '  Run, 
Wilson,  the  roof  is  coming  down! '  I  could  not  help 
bolting  a  few  yards,  for  the  earth  came  pattering  down  as 
he  spoke;  then  I  looked  round  and  saw  him  standing 
there,  by  the  light  of  the  lamp,  like  those  figures  you  see 
holding  up  pillars;  I  forget  what  they  call  them — caty- 
digs,  or  something  of  that  sort." 

"  Caryatides,"  Isobel  put  in. 

"  Yes,  that  is  the  name.  Some  timber  had  given  way 
above  him,  and  he  was  holding  it  up  with  his  arms.  I 
should  say  that  there  must  have  been  half  a  ton  of  it, 
and  he  said,  as  quietly  as  possible, '  Get  two  of  those  short 


248  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

poles,  Wilson,  and  put  up  one  on  each  side  of  me  I  can 
hold  it  a  bit,  but  don't  be  longer  than  you  can  help  about 
it.'  I  managed  to  shove  up  the  timber,  so  that  he  could 
slip  out  before  it  came  down.  It  would  have  crushed  u& 
both  to  a  certainty  if  he  had  not  held  it  if  p." 

"Why  do  you  say  you  know  I  don't  like  Mr. 
Bathurst?" 

"  I  don't  exactly  know,  Miss  Hannay,  but  I  have  noticed 
you  are  the  only  lady  who  does  not  chat  with  him.  I 
don't  think  I  have  seen  you  speak  to  him  since  we  have 
come  in  here.  I  am  sorry,  because  I  like  him  very  much, 
and  I  don't  care  for  Forster  at  all." 

"What  has  Captain  Forster  to  do  with  it?"  Isobel 
asked,  somewhat  indignantly. 

"  Oh,  nothing  at  all,  Miss  Hannay,  only,  you  know, 
Bathurst  used  to  be  a  good  deal  at  the  Major's  before 
Forster  came,  and  then  after  that  I  never  met  him  there 
except  on  that  evening  before  he  came  in  here.  Now  you 
know,  Miss  Hannay,"  he  went  on  earnestly,  "  what  I 
think  about  you.  I  have  not  been  such  an  ass  as  to  sup- 
pose I  ever  had  a  chance,  though  you  know  I  would  lay 
down  my  life  for  you  willingly;  but  I  did  not  seem  to 
mind  Bathurst.  I  know  he  is  an  awfully  good  fellow, 
and  would  have  made  you  very  happy;  but  I  don't  feel 
like  that  with  Forster.  There  is  nothing  in  the  world 
that  I  should  like  better  than  to  punch  his  head;  and 
when  I  see  that  a  fellow  like  \hat  has  cut  Bathurst  out 
altogether  it  makes  me  so  savaje  sometimes  that  I  have 
to  go  and  smoke  a  pipe  outside  so  as  not  to  break  out  and 
have  a  row  with  him." 

"You  ought  not  to  talk  so,  Mr.  Wilson.  It  is  very 
wrong.  You  have  no  right  to  say  that  anyone  has  cut 
anyone  else  out  as  far  as  I  am  concerned.  I  know  you 
are  all  fond  of  me  in  a  brotherly  sort  of  way,  and  I  like 
you  very  much;  but  that  gives  you  no  right  to  say  such 
things  about  other  people.  Mr.  Bathurst  ceased  his  visits 
not  because  of  Captain  Forster,  but  from  another 
reason  altogether;  and  certainly  I  have  neither  said  nor 
done  anything  that  would  justify  your  saying  that  Cap- 
tain Forster  had  cut  Mr.  Bathurst  out.  Even  if  I  had, 
you  ought  not  to  have  alluded  to  such  a  thing.  I  am 


RUJUB>  THE  JUGGLER.  249 

not  angry  with  you/'  she  said,  seeing  how  downcast  he 
looked;  "  but  you  must  not  talk  like  that  any  more;  it 
would  be  wrong  at  any  time;  it  is  specially  so  now,  when 
we  are  all  shut  up  here  together,  and  none  can  say  what 
will  happen  to  us." 

"  It  seemed  to  me  that  was  just  the  reason  why  I  could 
speak  about  it,  Miss  Hannay.  We  may  none  of  us  get 
out  of  this  fix  we  are  in,  and  I  do  think  we  ought  all  to 
be  friends  together  now.  Richards  and  I  both  agreed 
that  as  it  was  certain  neither  of  us  had  a  chance  of  win- 
ning you,  the  next  best  thing  was  to  see  you  and  Bathurst 
come  together.  Well,  now  all  that's  over,  of  course,  but 
is  it  wrong  for  me  to  ask,  how  is  it  you  have  come  to 
dislike  him  ?" 

"  But  I  don't  dislike  him,  Mr.  Wilson." 

"Well,  then,  why  do  you  go  on  as  if  you  didn't  like 
him?" 

Isobel  hesitated.  From  most  men  she  would  have  con- 
sidered the  question  impertinent,  and  would  have  re- 
sented it,  but  this  frank-faced  boy  meant  no  imperti- 
nence; he  loved  her  in  his  honest  way,  and  only  wanted 
to  see  her  happy. 

"  I  can't  speak  to  him  if  he  doesn't  speak  to  me,"  she 
said  desperately. 

"  No,  of  course  not,"  he  agreed;  "  but  why  shouldn't 
he  speak  to  you?  You  can't  have  done  anything  to 
offend  him  except  taking  up  with  Forster." 

"  It  is  nothing  to  do  with  Captain  Forster  at  all,  Mr. 

Wilson;  I "  and  she  hesitated.  "  I  said  something  at 

which  he  had  the  right  to  feel  hurt  and  offended,  and 
he  has  never  given  me  any  opportunity  since  of  saying 
that  I  was  sorry." 

"  I  am  sure  you  would  not  have  said  anything  that  he 
should  have  been  offended  about,  Miss  Hannay;  it  is  not 
your  nature,  and  I  would  not  believe  it  whoever  told  me, 
not  even  yourself;  so  he  must  be  in  fault,  and,  of  course,  I 
have  nothing  more  to  say  about  it." 

"He  wasn't  in  fault  at  all,  Mr.  Wilson.  I  can't  tell 
you  what  I  said,  but  it  was  very  wrong  and  thoughtless 
on  my  part,  and  I  have  been  sorry  for  it  ever  since;  and 
lie  has  a  perfect  right  to  be  hurt  and  not  to  come  near 


250  RUJVB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

me,  especially  as " — and  she  hesitated — "  as  I  have 
acted  badly  since,  and  he  has  no  reason  for  supposing 
that  I  am  sorry.  And  now  you  must  not  ask  me  any  more 
about  it;  I  don't  know  why  I  have  said  as  much  to  you  a^ 
I  have,  only  I  know  I  can  trust  you,  and  I  like  you  very 
much,  though  I  could  never  like  you  in  the  sort  of  way 
you  would  want  me  to.  I  wish  you  didn't  like  me  like 
that." 

"  Oh,  never  mind  me,"  he  said  earnestly.  "  I  am  all 
right,  Miss  Hannay;  I  never  expected  anything,  you 
know,  so  I  am  not  disappointed,  and  it  has  been 
awfully  good  of  you  talking  to  me  as  you  have,  and  not 
getting  mad  with  me  for  interfering.  But  I  can  hear 
them  coming  down  from  the  terrace,  and  I  must  be  off. 
I  am  on  duty  there,  you  know,  now.  Bathurst  has  under- 
taken double  work  in  that  hole.  I  didn't  like  it,  really; 
it  seemed  mean  to  be  getting  out  of  the  work  and 
letting  him  do  it  all,  but  he  said  that  he  liked  work,  and 
I  really  think  he  does.  I  am  sure  he  is  always  worrying 
himself  because  he  can't  take  his  share  in  the  firing  on 
the  roof;  and  when  he  is  working  he  hasn't  time  to  think 
about  it.  When  he  told  me  that  in  future  he  would 
drive  the  tunnel  our  shift  himself,  he  said,  '  That  will 
enable  you  to  take  your  place  on  the  roof,  Wilson,  and 
you  must  remember  you  are  firing  for  both  of  us,  so 
don't  throw  away  a  shot.'  It  is  awfully  rough  on  him, 
isn't  it?  Well,  good-by,  Miss  Hannay,"  and  Wilson 
hurried  off  to  the  roof. 


CHAPTER  XVL 

THE  next  four  days  made  a  great  alteration  in  the 
position  of  the  defenders  in  the  fortified  house. 

The  upper  story  was  now  riddled  by  balls,  the  parapet 
round  the  terrace  had  been  knocked  away  in  several 
places,  the  gate  was  in  splinters;  but  as  the  earth  from 
the  tunnel  had  been  all  emptied  against  the  sandbags,  it 
had  grown  to  such  a  thickness  that  the  defense  was  still 
good  here.  But  in  the  wall,  against  which  one  of  the  new 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER.  251 

batteries  had  steadily  directed  its  fire,  there  was  a  yawn- 
ing gap,  which  was  hourly  increasing  in  size,  and  would 
ere  long  be  practicable  for  assault.  Many  of  the  shots 
passing  through  this  had  struck  the  house  itself.  Some 
of  these  had  penetrated,  and  the  room  in  the  line  of  fire 
could  no  longer  be  used. 

There  had  been  several  casualties.  The  young  civilian 
Herbert  had  been  killed  by  a  shot  that  struck  the  para- 
pet just  where  he  was  lying.  Captain  Rintoul  had  been 
seriously  wounded,  two  of  the  natives  had  been  killed  by 
the  first  shot  which  penetrated  the  lower  room.  Mr. 
Hunter  was  prostrate  with  fever,  the  result  of  exposure 
to  the  sun,  and  several  others  had  received  wounds  more 
or  less  severe  from  fragments  of  stone;  but  the  fire  of  the 
defenders  was  as  steady  as  at  first,  and  the  loss  of  the 
natives  working  the  guns  was  severe,  and  they  no  longer 
ventured  to  fire  from  the  gardens  and  shrubberies  round 
the  walls. 

Fatigue,  watching,  still  more  the  heat  on  the  terrace, 
was  telling  heavily  upon  the  strength  of  the  garrison. 
The  ladies  went  about  their  work  quietly  and  almost 
silently.  The  constant  anxiety  and  the  confinement  in 
the  darkened  rooms  were  telling  upon  them  too.  Several 
of  the  children  were  ill;  and  when  not  employed  in  other 
things,  there  were  fresh  sandbags  to  be  made  by  the 
women,  to  take  the  place  of  those  damaged  by  the 
enemy's  shot. 

When,  of  an  evening,  a  portion  of  the  defenders  came 
off  duty,  there  was  more  talk  and  conversation,  as  all 
endeavored  to  keep  up  a  good  face  and  assume  a  confi- 
dence they  were  far  from  feeling.  The  Doctor  was  per- 
haps the  most  cheery  of  the  party.  During  the  daytime 
he  was  always  on  the  roof,  and  his  rifle  seldom  cracked  in 
vain.  In  the  evening  he  attended  to  his  patients,  talked 
cheerily  to  the  ladies,  and  laughed  and  joked  over  the 
events  of  the  day. 

None  among  the  ladies  showed  greater  calmness  and 
courage  than  Mrs.  Rintoul,  and  not  a  word  was  ever 
heard  from  the  time  the  siege  began  of  her  ailments  or 
inconveniences.  She  was  Mrs.  Hunter's  best  assistant 
with  the  sick  children.  Even  snifter  her  husband  was 


252  RUJUB,  THE  JVGQLER. 

V 

wounded,  and  her  attention  night  and  day  was  given  to 
him,  she  still  kept  on  patiently  and  firmly. 

"  I  don't  know  how  to  admire  Mrs.  Rintoul  enough," 
Mrs.  Hunter  said  to  Isobel  Hannay  one  day;  "  formerly 
I  had  no  patience  with  her,  she  was  always  querulous 
and  grumbling;  now  she  has  turned  out  a  really  noble 
woman.  One  never  knows  people,  my  dear,  till  one  sees 
them  in  trouble." 

"  Everyone  is  nice,"  Isobel  said.  "  I  have  hardly  heard 
a  word  of  complaint  about  anything  since  we  came  here, 
and  everyone  seems  to  help  others  and  do  little  kind- 
nesses." , 

The  enemy's  fire  had  been  very  heavy  all  that  day, 
and  the  breach  in  the  wall  had  been  widened,  and  the 
garrison  felt  certain  that  the  enemy  would  attack  on  the 
following  morning. 

"You  and  Farquharson,  Doctor,  must  stop  on  the 
roof,"  the  Major  said.  "  In  the  fa*st  place,  it  is  possible 
they  may  try  to  attack  by  ladders  at  some  other  point, 
and  we  shall  want  two  good  shots  up  there  to  keep  fchem 
back;  and  in  the  second,  if  they  do  force  the  breach,  we 
shall  want  you  to  cover  our  retreat  into  the  house.  I 
will  get  a  dozen  rifles  for  each  of  you  loaded  and  in 
readiness.  Isobel  and  Mary  Hunter,  who  have  both  vol- 
unteered over  and  over  again,  shall  go  up  to  load;  they 
have  both  practiced,  and  can  load  quickly.  Of  course  if 
you  see  that  the  enemy  are  not  attacking  at  any  other 
point,  you  will  help  us  at  the  breach  by  keeping  up  a 
steady  fire  on  them,  but  always  keep  six  guns  each  in 
reserve.  I  shall  blow  my  whistle  as  a  signal  for  us  to 
retire  to  the  house  if  I  find  we  can  hold  the  breach  no 
longer,  so  when  you  hear  that  blaze  away  at  them  as  fast 
as  you  can.  Your  twelve  shots  will  check  them  long 
enough  to  give  us  time  to  get  in  and  fasten  the  door. 
We  shall  be  round  the  corner  of  the  house  before  they 
can  get  fairly  over  the  breastwork.  We  will  set  to  work 
to  raise  that  as  soon  as  it  gets  dark." 

A  breastwork  of  sandbags  had  already  been  erected 
behind  the  breach,  in  case  the  enemy  should  make  a 
sudden  rush,  and  a  couple  of  hours'  labor  transformed 
this  into  a  strong  work;  for  the  bags  were  already  filled, 


RDJUBt  THE  JUGGLER.  253 

and  only  needed  placing  in  position.  When  completed, 
it  extended  in  a  horseshoe  shape,  some  fifteen  feet  across, 
behind  the  gap  in  the  wall.  For  nine  feet  from  the 
ground  it  was  composed  of  sandbags  three  deep,  and  a 
single  line  was  then  laid  along  the  edge  to  serve  as  a 
parapet. 

"  I  don't  think  they  will  get  over  that,"  the  Major 
said,  when  the  work  was  finished.  "  I  doubt  if  they  will 
be  disposed  even  to  try  when  they  reach  the  breach." 

Before  beginning  their  work  they  had  cleared  away 
all  the  fallen  brickwork  from  behind  the  breach,  and  a 
number  of  bricks  were  laid  on  the  top  of  the  sandbags 
to  be  used  as  missiles. 

"  A  brick  is  as  good  as  a  musket  ball  at  this  distance," 
the  Major  said;  "  and  when  our  guns  are  empty  we  can 
take  to  them;  there  are  enough  spare  rifles  for  us  to  have 
five  each,  and,  with  those  and  our  revolvers  and  the 
bricks,  we  ought  to  be  able  to  account  for  an  army. 
There  are  some  of  the  servants  and  syces  who  can  be 
trusted  to  load.  They  can  stand  down  behind  us,  and 
we  can  pass  our  guns  down  to  them  as  we  empty  them." 

Each  man  had  his  place  on  the  work  assigned  to  him. 
Bathurst,  who  had  before  told  the  Major  that  when  the 
time  came  for  an  assault  to  be  delivered  he  was  deter- 
mined to  take  his  place  in  the  breach,  was  placed  at  one 
end  of  the  horseshoe  where  it  touched  the  wall. 

"  I  don't  promise  to  be  of  much  use,  Major,"  he  said 
quietly.  "  I  know  myself  too  well;  but  at  least  I  can  run 
my  chance  of  being  killed." 

The  Major  had  put  Wilson  next  to  him. 

"  I  don't  think  there  is  much  chance  of  their  storming 
the  work,  Wilson;  but  if  they  do,  you  catch  hold  of 
Bathurst's  arm,  and  drag  him  away  when  you  hear  me 
whistle;  the  chances  are  a  hundred  to  one  against  his 
hearing  it,  or  remembering  what  it  means  if  he  does 
hear  it." 

"  All  right,  Major,  I  will  look  to  him." 

Four  men  remained  on  guard  at  the  breach  all  night, 
and  at  the  first  gleam  of  daylight  the  garrison  took  up 
their  posts. 

"How  mind,  my  dears,"  the  Doctor  said,  as  he  and 


354  RVJDB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

Farquharson  went  up  on  the  terrace  with  Isobel  and 
Mary  Hunter;  "  you  must  do  exactly  as  you  are  told,  or 
you  will  be  doing  more  harm  than  good,  for  Farquharson 
and  I  would  not  be  able  to  pay  attention  to  our  shooting. 
You  must  lie  down  and  remain  perfectly  quiet  till  we  be^ 
gin  to  fire,  then  keep  behind  us  just  so  far  that  you  can 
reach  the  guns  as  we  hand  them  back  to  you  after  firing; 
and  you  must  load  them  either  kneeling  or  sitting  down, 
so  that  you  don't  expose  your  heads  above  the  thickest 
part  of  the  breastwork.  When  you  have  loaded,  push 
the  guns  back  well  to  the  right  of  us,  but  so  that  we  can 
reach  them.  Then,  if  one  of  them  goes  off,  there  won't 
be  any  chance  of  our  being  hit.  The  garrison  can't 
afford  to  throw  away  a  life  at  present.  You  will,  of 
course,  only  half  cock  them;  still,  it  is  as  well  to  provide 
against  accidents." 

Both  the  girls  were  pale,  but  they  were  quiet  and 
seeady.  The  Doctor  saw  they  were  not  likely  to  break 
down. 

"That  is  a  rum-looking  weapon  you  have  got  there, 
Bathurst,"  Wilson  said,  as,  after  carrying  down  the  spare 
guns  and  placing  them  ready  for  firing,  they  lay  down 
in  their  positions  on  the  sandbags.  The  weapon  was  a 
native  one,  and  was  a  short  mace,  composed  of  a  bar  of 
iron  about  fifteen  inches  long,  with  a  knob  of  the  same 
metal,  studded  with  ' spikes.  The  bar  was  covered  with 
leather  to  break  the  jar,  and  had  a  loop  to  put  the  hand 
through  at  the  end. 

"  Yes,"  Bathurst  said  quietly;  "  I  picked  it  up  at  one 
of  the  native  shops  in  Cawnpore  the  last  time  I  was  there. 
I  had  no  idt;a  then  that  I  might  ever  have  to  use  it, 
and  bought  it  rather  as  a  curiosity;  but  I  have  kept  it 
v/ithin  reach  of  my  bedside  since  these  troubles  began, 
and  I  don't  think  one  could  want  a  better  weapon  at  close 
quarters." 

"No,  it  is  a  tremendous  thing;  and  after  the  way  I 
have  seen  you  using-  that  pick  I  should  not  like  to  be 
within  reach  of  year  arm  with  that  maco  in  it.  I  don't 
think  there  is  much  chance  of  your  wanting  that.  I  have 
no  fear  of  the  natives  getting  over  here  this  time." 

"I  have  no  fear  of  the  natives  at  all,"  Bathurst  said. 


RUJUBt  THE  JUGGLER.  255 

'*!  am  only  afraid  of  myself.  At  present  I  am  just  as 
cool  as  if  there  was  not  a  native  within  a  thousand  miles, 
and  I  am  sure  that  my  pulse  is  not  going  a  beat  faster 
than  usual.  I  can  think  of  the  whole  thing  and  calculate 
the  chances  as  calmly  as  if  it  were  an  affair  in  which  I 
was  in  no  way  concerned.  It  is  not  danger  that  I  fear 
in  the  slightest,  it  is  that  horrible  noise.  I  know  well 
enough  that  the  moment  the  firing  begins  I  shall  be  par- 
alyzed. My  only  hope  is  that  at  the  last  moment,  if  it 
comes  to  hand-to-hand  fighting,  I  shall  get  my  nerve 
again." 

"  I  have  no  doubt  you  will,"  Wilson  said  warmly;  "  and 
when  you  do  I  would  back  you  at  long  odds  against  any 
of  us.  Ah,  they  are  beginning." 

As  he  spoke  there  was  a  salvo  of  all  the  guns  on  the 
three  Sepoy  batteries.  Then  a  roar  of  musketry  broke 
out  round  the  house,  and  above  it  could  be  heard  loud 
shouts. 

"  They  are  coming,  Major,"  the  Doctor  shouted  down 
from  the  roof;  "the  Sepoys  are  leading,  and  there  is  a 
crowd  of  natives  behind  them." 

Those  lying  in  the  middle  of  the  curve  of  the  horse- 
shoe soon  caught  sight  of  the  enemy  advancing  tumultu- 
ously  towards  the  breach.  The  Major  had  ordered  that 
not  a  shot  was  to  be  fired  until  they  reached  it,  and  it 
was  evident  that  the  silence  of  the  besieged  awed  the 
assailants  with  a  sense  of  unknown  danger,  for  their  pace 
slackened,  and  when  they  got  to  within  fifty  yards  of 
the  breach  they  paused  and  opened  fire.  Then,  urged 
forward  by  their  officers  and  encouraged  by  their  own 
noise,  they  again  rushed  forward.  Two  of  their  officers 
led  the  way;  and  as  these  mounted  the  little  heap  of  rub- 
bish at  the  foot  of  the  breach,  two  rifles  cracked  out 
ftom  the  terrace,  and  both  fell  dead. 

There  was  a  yell  of  fury  from  the  Sepoys,  and  then 
they  poured  in  through  the  breach.  Those  in  front  tried 
to  stop  as  they  saw  the  trap  into  which  they  were  enter- 
ing, but  pressed  on  by  those  behind  they  were  forced 
forward. 

And  now  a  crackling  fire  of  musketry  broke  out  from 
the  rifles  projecting  between  the  sandbags  into  the 


256  RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER. 

crowded  mass.  Every  shot  told.  Wild  shrieks,  yells,  and 
curses  rose  from  the  assailants.  Some  tried  madly  to 
climb  up  the  sandbags,  some  to  force  their  way  back 
through  the  crowd  behind;  some  threw  themselves  down; 
others  discharged  their  muskets  at  their  invisible  foe. 
From  the  roof  the  Doctor  and  his  companion  kept  up  a 
rapid  fire  upon  the  crowd  struggling  to  enter  the  breach. 
As  fast  as  the  defenders'  muskets  were  discharged  they 
handed  them  down  to  the  servants  behind  to  be  reloaded; 
and  when  each  had  fired  his  spare  muskets  he  betook 
himself  to  his  revolver. 

Wilson,  while  discharging  his  rifle,  kept  his  eyes  upon 
Bathurst.  The  latter  had  not  fired  a  shot,  but  lay  rigid 
and  still,  save  for  a  sort  of  convulsive  shuddering.  Pres- 
ently there  was  a  little  lull  in  the  firing  as  the  weapons 
were  emptied,  and  the  defenders  seizing  the  bricks 
hurled  them  down  into  the  mass. 

"  Look  out! "  the  Major  shouted;  "  keep  your  heads 
low — I  am  going  to  throw  the  canisters." 

A  number  of  these  had  been  prepared,  filled  to  the 
mouth  with  powder  and  bullets,  and  with  a  short  fuse 
attached,  ropes  being  fastened  round  them  to  enable 
them  to  be  slung  some  distance.  The  Major  half  rose 
to  throw  one  of  these  missiles  when  his  attention  was 
called  by  a  shout  from  Wilson. 

The  latter  was  so  occupied  that  he  had  not  noticed 
Bathurst,  who  had  suddenly  risen  to  his  feet,  and  just  as 
Wilson  was  about  to  grasp  him  and  pull  him  down, 
leaped  over  the  sandbag  in  front  of  him  down  among 
the  mutineers.  The  Major  gave  a  swing  to  the  canister, 
of  which  the  fuse  was  already  lighted,  and  hurled  it 
through  the  breach  among  the  crowd,  who,  ignorant  of 
what  was  going  on  inside,  were  still  struggling  to 
enter. 

"  Look  out/'  he  shouted  to  the  others;  "mind  how  you 
throw.  Bathurst  is  down  in  the  middle  of  them.  Hand 
up  all  the  muskets  you  have  loaded,"  he  cried  to  the 
servants. 

As  he  spoke  he  swung  another  canister  through  the 
breach,  and  almost  immediately  two  heavy  explosions  fol- 
lowed, one  close  upon  the  other. 


1 


THE  DOCTOR  AND  FARQUHARSON  KEPT  UP  AN  ALMOST  CONTINUOUS  FIRE. 
Rujub,  the  Juggler.  —Page  257. 


i  THE  JUGGLER.  35? 

**  Give  them  a  volley  at  the  breach/'  he  shouted; 
*  never  mind  those  below." 

The  muskets  were  fired  as  soon  as  received. 

"  Now  to  your  feet,"  the  Major  cried,  "  and  give  them 
the  brickbats,"  and  as  he  stood  up  he  hurled  two  more 
canisters  among  the  crowd  behind  the  breach.  The 
others  sprang  up  with  a  cheer.  The  inclosure  below  them 
was  shallower  now  from  the  number  that  had  fallen,  and 
was  filled  with  a  confused  mass  of  struggling  men.  In 
their  midst  was  Bathurst  fighting  desperately  with  his 
short  weapon,  and  bringing  down  a  man  at  every  blow, 
the  mutineers  being  too  crowded  together  to  use  their 
fixed  bayonets  against  him.  In  a  moment  Captain 
Forster  leaped  down,  sword  in  hand,  and  joined  Bathurst 
in  the  fight. 

"  Stand  steady,"  the  Major  shouted;  "  don't  let  another 
man  move." 

But  the  missiles  still  rained  down  with  an  occasional 
shot,  as  the  rifles  were  handed  up  by  the  natives,  while 
the  Doctor  and  Farquharson  kept  up  an  almost  continu- 
ous fire  from  the  terrace.  Then  the  two  last  canisters 
thrown  by  the  Major  exploded.  The  first  two  had  carried 
havoc  among  the  crowd  behind  the  breach,  these  com- 
pleted their  confusion,  and  they  turned  and  fled;  while 
those  in  the  retrenchment,  relieved  of  the  pressure  from 
behind,  at  once  turned,  and  flying  through  the  breach, 
followed  their  companions. 

A  loud  cheer  broke  from  the  garrison,  and  the  Major 
looking  round  saw  the  Doctor  standing  by  the  parapet 
waving  his  hat,  while  Isobel  stood  beside  him  looking 
down  at  the  scene  of  conflict. 

"  Lie  down,  Isobel,"  he  shouted;  "  they  will  be  opening 
fire  again  directly." 

The  girl  disappeared,  and  almost  at  the  same  moment 
the  batteries  spoke  out  again,  and  a  crackle  of  the 
musketry  began  from  the  gardens.  The  Major  turned 
round.  Bathurst  was  leaning  against  the  wall  breathing 
heavily  after  his  exertions,  Forster  was  coolly  wiping  his 
sword  on  the  tunic  of  one  of  the  fallen  Sepoys. 

"Are  either  of  you  hurt?"  he  asked. 

"I  am  not  hurt  to  speak  of,"  Forster  said;  "I  got  a 


258  RDJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

rip  with  a  bayonet  as  I  jumped  down,  but  I  don't  think 
it  is  of  any  consequence." 

"How  are  you,  Bathurst?"  the  Major  repeated. 
"  What  on  earth  possessed  you  to  jump  down  like  that?  " 

"I  don't  know,  Major;  I  had  to  do  something,  and  when 
you  stopped  firing  I  felt  it  was  time  for  me  to  do  my 
share." 

"  You  have  done  more  than  your  share,  I  should  say," 
the  Major  said;  "  for  they  went  down  like  ninepins  before 
you.  Now,  Wilson,  you  take  one  of  his  hands,  and  I  will 
take  the  other,  and  help  him  up." 

It  needed  considerable  exertion  to  get  him  up,  for  the 
reaction  had  now  come,  and  he  was  scarce  able  to  stand. 

"  You  had  better  go  up  to  the  house  and  get  a  glass  of 
wine,"  the  Major  said.  "  Now,  is  anyone  else  hurt?  " 

"I  am  hit,  Major,"  Richards  said  quietly;  "a  ball 
came  in  between  the  sandbags  just  as  I  fired  my  first  shot, 
and  smashed  my  right  shoulder.  I  think  I  have  not  been 
much  good  since,  though  I  have  been  firing  from  my  left 
as  well  as  I  could.  I  think  I  will  go  up  and  get  the  Doc- 
tor to  look  at  it." 

But  almost  as  he  spoke  the  young  fellow  tottered,  and 
would  have  fallen,  had  not  the  Major  caught  him. 

"  Lend  me  a  hand,  Doolan,"  the  latter  said;  "  we  will 
carry  him  in;  I  am  afraid  he  is  very  hard  hit." 

The  ladies  gathered  round  the  Major  and  Captain 
Doolan  as  they  entered  with  their  burden.  Mary  Hunter 
had  already  run  down  and  told  them  that  the  attack  had 
been  repulsed  and  the  enemy  had  retreated. 

"  Nobody  else  is  hit,"  the  Major  said,  as  he  entered; 
Kat  least,  not  seriously.  The  enemy  have  been  hand- 
somely beaten  with  such  loss  that  they  won't  be  in  a 
hurry  to  try  again.  Will  one  of  you  run  up  and  bring 
the  Doctor  down?" 

Richards  was  carried  into  the  hospital  room,  where 
he  was  left  to  the  care  of  the  Doctor,  Mrs.  Hunter,  and 
Mrs.  Rintoul.  The  Major  returned  to  the  general  room. 

"Boy,  bring  half  a  dozen  bottles  of  champagne  and 
open  them  as  quickly  as  you  can,"  he  said;  "  we  have  got 
enough  to  last  us  for  weeks,  and  this  is  an  occasion  to 
^jelebrate,  and  I  think  we  have  all  earned  it." 


RUJVB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

The  others  were  by  this  time  coming  in,  for  there  was 
no  chances  of  the  enemy  renewing  the  attack  at  pres- 
ent. Farquharson  was  on  the  roof  on  the  lookout. 
Quiet  greetings  were  exchanged  between  wives  and 
husbands. 

"It  didn't  last  long,"  Wilson  said;  "not  above  five 
minutes,  I  should  say,  from  the  time  when  we  opened 
fire." 

"It  seemed  to  us  an  age,"  Amy  Hunter  replied;  "it 
was  dreadful  not  to  able  to  see  what  was  going  on;  it 
seemed  to  me  everyone  must  be  killed  with  all  that 
firing." 

"  It  was  sharp  while  it  lasted,"  the  Major  said;  "  but 
we  were  all  snug  enough  except  against  a  stray  bullet, 
such  as  that  which  hit  poor  young  Richards.  He  be- 
haved very  gallantly,  and  none  of  us  knew  he  was  hit  till 
it  was  all  over." 

"But  how  did  Captain  Forster  get  his  bayonet 
wound?"  Mrs.  Doolan  asked.  "I  saw  him  go  in  just 
now  into  the  surgery;  it  seemed  to  me  he  had  a  very 
serious  wound,  for  his  jacket  was  cut  from  the  breast  up 
to  the  shoulder,  and  he  was  bleeding  terribly,  though  he 
made  light  of  it." 

"  He  jumped  down  into  the  middle  of  them,"  the  Major 
said.  "  Bathurst  jumped  down  first,  and  was  fighting 
like  a  madman  with  a  mace  he  has  got.  We  could  do 
nothing,  for  we  were  afraid  of  hitting  him,  and  Forster 
jumped  down  to  help  him,  and,  as  he  did  so,  got  that  rip 
with  the  bayonet;  it  is  a  nasty  cut,  no  doubt,  but  it  is 
only  a  flesh  wound." 

"Where  is  Mr.  Bathurst?"  Mrs.  Doolan  asked;  "is  he 
hurt,  too?  Why  did  he  jump  down?  I  should  not  have 
thought "  and  she  stopped. 

"I  fancy  a  sort  of  fury  seized  him,"  the  Major  said; 
"but  whatever  it  was,  he  fought  like  a  giant.  He  is  a 
powerful  man,  and  that  iron  mace  is  just  the  thing  for 
such  work.  The  natives  went  down  like  ninepins  before 
him.  No,  I  don't  think  he  is  hurt." 

"  I  will  go  out  and  see,"  Mrs.  Doolan  said;  and  taking 
a  mug  half  full  of  champagne  from  the  table,  sh 
out. 


260  RUJUB,  TUB  JUGGLER. 

Bathurst  was  sitting  on  the  ground  leaning  against  the 
wall  of  the  house. 

"  You  are  not  hurt,  Mr.  Bathurst,  I  hope,"  Mrs. 
Doolan  said,  as  she  came  up.  "  No,  don't  try  to  get  up, 
drink  a  little  of  this;  we  are  celebrating  our  victory  by 
opening  a  case  of  champagne.  The  Major  tells  us  you 
have  been  distinguishing  yourself  greatly." 

Bathurst  drank  some  of  the  wine  before  he  replied. 

"  In  a  way,  Mrs.  Doolan,  I  scarcely  know  what  I  did 
do.  I  wanted  to  do  something,  even  if  it  was  only  to  get 
killed." 

"  You  must  not  talk  like  that,"  she  said  kindly;  "  your 
life  is  as  valuable  as  any  here,  and  you  know  that  we  all 
like  and  esteem  you;  and,  at  any  rate,  you  have  shown  to- 
day that  you  have  plenty  of  courage." 

"  The  courage  of  a  Malay  running  amuck,  Mrs.  Doolan; 
that  is  not  courage,  it  is  madness.  You  cannot  tell — no 
one  can  tell — what  I  have  suffered  since  the  siege  began. 
The  humiliation  of  knowing  that  I  alone  of  the  men  here 
am  unable  to  take  my  part  in  the  defense,  and  that 
while  others  are  fighting  I  am  useful  only  to  work  as  a 
miner." 

"  But  you  are  as  useful  in  that  way  as  you  would  be 
in  the  other,"  she  said.  "  I  don't  feel  humiliated  because 
I  can  only  help  in  nursing  the  sick  while  the  others  are 
fighting  for  us.  We  have  all  of  us  our  gifts.  Few  men 
have  more  than  you.  You  have  courage  and  coolness  in 
other  ways,  and  you  are  wrong  to  care  nothing  for  your 
life  because  of  the  failing,  for  which  you  are  not  ac- 
countable, of  your  nerves  to  stand  the  sound  of  firearms. 
I  can  understand  your  feelings  and  sympathize  with  you, 
but  it  is  of  no  use  to  exaggerate  the  importance  of  such  a 
matter.  You  might  live  a  thousand  lives  without  being 
again  in  a  position  when  such  a  failing  would  be  of  the 
slightest  importance,  one  way  or  the  other.  Now  come 
in  with  me.  Certainly  this  is  not  the  moment  for  you 
to  give  way  about  it;  for  whatever  your  feelings  may  have 
been,  or  whatever  may  have  impelled  you  to  the  act,  you 
have  on  this  occasion  fought  nobly." 

"Not  nobly,  Mrs.  Doolan,"  he  said,  rising  to  bis  feet; 
"  desperately,  or  madly,  if  you  like." 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER.  261 

At  this  moment-  Wilson  came  out.  "Halloa,  Bath- 
urst,  what  are  doing  here?  Breakfast  is  just  ready,  and 
everyone  is  asking  for  you.  I  am  sure  you  must  want 
something  after  your  exertions.  You  should  have  seen 
him  laying  about  him  with  that  iron  mace,  Mrs.  Doolan. 
I  have  seen  him  using  the  pick,  and  knew  how  strong  he 
was,  but  I  was  astonished,  I  can  tell  you.  It  was  a  sort 
of  Ceeur-de-Lion  business.  He  used  to  use  a  mace,  you 
know,  and  once  rode  through  the  Saracens  and  smashed 
them  up,  till  at  last,  when  he  had  done,  he  couldn't  open 
his  hand.  Bring  him  in,  Mrs.  Doolan.  If  he  won't  come, 
I  will  go  in  and  send  the  Doctor  out  to  him.  Bad  busi- 
ness, poor  Eichards  being  hurt,  isn't  it?  Awfully  good 
fellow,  Richards.  Can't  think  why  he  was  the  one  to 
be  hit." 

So  keeping  up  a  string  of  talk,  the  young  subaltern 
led  Bathurst  into  the  house. 

After  breakfast  a  white  flag  was  waved  from  the  roof, 
and  in  a  short  time  two  Sepoy  officers  came  up  with  a 
similar  flag.  The  Major  and  Captain  Doolan  went  out 
to  meet  them,  and  it  was  agreed  that  hostilities  should  be 
suspended  until  noon,  in  order  that  the  wounded  and  dead 
might  be  carried  off. 

While  this  was  being  done  the  garrison  remained  un- 
der arms  behind  their  work  at  the  breach  lest  any  treach- 
erous attempt  should  be  made.  The  mutineers,  however, 
who  were  evidently  much  depressed  by  the  failure,  car- 
ried the  bodies  off  quietly,  and  at  twelve  o'clock  firing 
recommenced. 

That  evening,  after  it  was  dark,  the  men  gathered  on 
the  terrace. 

"Well,  gentlemen,"  the  Major  said,  "we  have  beaten 
them  off  to-day,  and  we  may  do  it  again,  but  there  is  no 
doubt  how  it  must  all  end.  You  see,  this  afternoon  their 
guns  have  all  been  firing  at  a  fresh  place  in  the  wall;  and 
if  they  make  another  breach  or  two,  and  attack  at  them 
all  together,  it  will  be  hopeless  to  try  to  defend  them* 
You  see,  now  that  we  have  several  sick  and  wounded, 
the  notion  of  making  our  escape  is  almost  knocked  on 
the  head.  At  the  last  moment  each  may  try  to  save  his 
life,  but  there  must  be  no  desertion  of  the  sick  and 


062  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

wounded  as  long  as  there  is  a  cartridge  to  be  fired.  Our 
best  hope  is  in  getting  assistance  from  somewhere,  but 
we  know  nothing  of  what  is  going  on  outside.  I  think 
the  best  plan  will  be  for  one  of  our  number  to  try  to 
make  his  way  out,  and  go  either  to  Lucknow,  Agra,  or 
Allahabad,  and  try  and  get  help.  If  they  could  spare  a 
troop  of  cavalry  it  might  be  sufficient;  the  mutineers  have 
suffered  very  heavily;  there  were  over  a  hundred  and 
fifty  bodies  carried  out  to-day,  and  if  attacked  suddenly 
I  don't  think  they  would  make  any  great  resistance.  We 
may  hold  out  for  a  week  or  ten  days,  but  I  think  that  is 
the  outside;  and  if  rescue  does  not  arrive  by  that  time 
we  must  either  surrender  or  try  to  escape  by  that 
passage/* 

There  was  a  general  assent. 

"  Bathurst  would  be  the  man  to  do  it,"  the  Doctor 
said.  "  Once  through  their  lines  he  could  pass  without 
exciting  the  slightest  suspicion;  he  could  buy  a  horse 
then,  and  could  be  at  any  of  the  stations  in  two  days," 

"  Yes,  there  is  no  doubt  that  he  is  the  man  to  do  it," 
the  Major  said.  "Where  is  he  now?" 

"  At  work  as  usual,  Major;  shall  I  go  and  speak  to  him? 
but  I  tell  you  fairly  I  don't  think  he  will  undertake  it/5 

"Why  not,  Doctor?  It  is  a  dangerous  mission,  but  no 
more  dangerous  than  remaining  here." 

"  Well,  we  shall  see,"  the  Doctor  said,  as  he  left  the 
group. 

Nothing  was  said  for  a  few  minutes,  the  men  sitting 
or  lying  about  smoking.  Presently  the  Doctor  returned. 

"  Bathurst  refuses  absolutely,"  he  said.  "  He  admits 
that  he  does  not  think  there  would  be  much  difficulty 
for  him  to  get  through,  but  he  is  convinced  that  the 
mission  would  be  a  useless  one,  and  that  could  help  have 
been  spared  it  would  have  come  to  us  before  now." 

"  But  in  that  case  he  would  have  made  his  escape," 
the  Major  said. 

"  That  is  just  why  he  won't  go,  Major;  he  says  that 
come  what  will  he  will  share  the  fate  of  the  rest,  and 
that  he  will  not  live  to  be  pointed  to  as  the  one  man  who 
made  his  escape  of  the  garrison  of  Deennugghur." 

"  Whom  can  we  send?  "  the  Major  said.    "  You  are  the 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  263 

only  other  man  who  speaks  the  language  well  enough  to 
pass  as  a  native,  Doctor." 

"I  epeak  it  fairly,  but  not  well  enough  for  that;  be- 
sides, I  am  too  old  to  bear  the  fatigue  of  riding  night 
and  day;  and,  moreover,  my  services  are  wanted  here 
both  as  a  doctor  and  as  a  rifle  shot." 

, "  T  will  go,  if  you  will  send  me,  Major,"  Captain 
Porster  said  suddenly;  "  not  in  disguise,  but  in  uniform, 
and  on  my  horse's  back.  Of  course  I  should  run  the 
gauntlet  of  their  sentries.  Once  through,  I  doubt  if  they 
have  a  horse  that  could  overtake  mine." 

There  was  a  general  silence  of  surprise.  Forster's 
reckless  courage  was  notorious,  and  he  had  been  conspic- 
uous for  the  manner  in  which  he  had  chosen  the  most 
dangerous  points  during  the  siege;  and  this  offer  to  un- 
dertake what,  although  a  dangerous  enterprise  in  itself, 
still  offered  a  far  better  chance  of  life  than  that  of 
remaining  behind,  surprised  everyone.  It  had  been 
noticed  Chat,  since  the  rejection  of  his  plan  to  sally  out 
in  a  body  and  cut  their  way  through  the  enemy,  he  had 
been  moody  and  silent,  except  only  when  the  fire  was 
heavy  and  the  danger  considerable;  then  he  laughed  and 
joked  and  seemed  absolutely  to  enjoy  the  excitement; 
but  he  was  the  last  man  whom  any  of  them  would  have 
expected  to  volunteer  for  a  service  that,  dangerous  as  it 
might  be,  had  just  been  refused  by  Bathurst  on  the 
ground  that  it  offered  a  chance  of  escape  from  the  com- 
mon lot. 

The  Major  was  the  first  to  speak. 

"Well,  Captain  Forster,  as  we  have  just  agreed  that 
our  only  chance  is  to  obtain  aid  from  one  of  the  stations, 
and  as  you  are  the  only  volunteer  for  the  service,  I  do 
not  see  that  I  can  decline  to  accept  your  offer.  At  which 
station  do  you  think  you  would  be  most  likely  to  find  a 
force  that  could  help  us?  " 

"I  should  say  Lucknow,  Major.  If  help  is  to  be  ob- 
tained anywhere,  I  should  say  it  was  there." 

"Yes,  I  think  that  is  the  most  hopeful.  You  will 
start  at  once;  I  suppose  the  sooner  the  better." 

"  As  soon  as  they  are  fairly  asleep;  say  twelve  o'clock." 

"  Very  well.    I  will  go  and  write  a  dispatch  for  you  to 


264  RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER. 

carry,  giving  an  account  of  the  fix  we  are  in  here. 
will  you  sally  out?  " 

"  I  should  think  the  easiest  plan  would  he  to  make  a 
gap  in  the  sandbags  in  the  breach,  lead  the  horse  till 
fairly  outside,  and  then  mount." 

"  I  think  you  had  better  take  a  spare  horse  with  you," 
the  Doctor  said;  "it  will  make  a  difference  if  you  are 
chased,  if  you  can  change  from  one  to  the  other. 
Bathurst  told  me  to  say  whoever  went  could  have  his 
horse,  which  is  a  long  way  the  best  in  the  station.  1 
should  fancy  as  good  as  your  own." 

"  I  don't  know,"  Forster  said;  "  led  horses  are  a 
nuisance;  still,  as  you  say,  it  might  come  in  useful,  if  it 
is  only  to  loose  and  turn  down  a  side  road,  and  so  puzzle 
anyone  who  may  be  after  you  in  the  dark." 

The  Major  and  Forster  left  the  roof  together. 

"Well,  that  is  a  rum  go,"  Wilson  said.  "If  it  had 
been  anyone  but  Forster  I  should  have  said  that  he 
funked  and  was  taking  the  opportunity  to  get  out  of  it, 
but  everyone  knows  that  he  has  any  amount  of  pluck; 
look  how  he  charged  those  Sepoys  single-handed." 

"There  are  two  sorts  of  pluck,  Wilson,"  the  Doctoi 
said  dryly.  "  There  is  the  pluck  that  will  carry  a  man 
through  a  desperate  action  and  lead  him  to  do  deeds  that 
are  the  talk  of  an  army.  Forster  possesses  that  kind  of 
pluck  in  an  unusual  degree.  He  is  almost  an  ideal  caval- 
ryman— dashing  reckless;  riding  with  a  smile  on  his  lips 
into  the  thickest  of  the  fray,  absolutely  careless  of  life 
when  his  blood  is  up. 

"  There  is  another  sort  of  courage,  that  which  sup- 
ports men  under  long-continued  strain,  and  enables  them, 
patiently  and  steadfastly,  to  face  death  when  they  see  it 
approaching  step  by  step.  I  doubt  whether  Forster  pos- 
sesses that  passive  sort  of  courage.  He  would  ride  up 
to  a  cannon's  mouth,  but  would  grow  impatient  in  a 
square  of  infantry  condemned  to  remain  inactive  under  a 
heavy  artillery  fire. 

"  No  one  has  changed  more  since  this  siege  began  than 
he  has.  Except  when  engaged  under  a  heavy  fire  he  has 
been  either  silent,  or  impatient  and  short-tempered, 
shirking  conversation  even  with  women  when  his  turn 


RUJUB,  T'EE  JUGGLER.  265 

of  duty  was  over.  Mind,  I  don't  say  for  a  moment  that  I 
suspect  him  of  being  afraid  of  death;  when  the  end  came 
he  would  fight  as  bravely  as  ever,  and  no  one  could  fight 
more  bravely.  But  he  cannot  stand  the  waiting;  he  is 
always  pulling  his  mustache  moodily  and  muttering  to 
himself;  he  is  good  to  do  but  not  to  suffer;  he  would  make 
a  shockingly  bad  patient  in  a  long  illness. 

"  Well,  if  any  of  you  have  letters  you  want  to  write 
to  friends  in  England  I  should  advise  you  to  take  the 
opportunity;  mind,  I  don't  think  they  will  ever  get  them. 
Forster  may  get  through,  but  I  consider  the  chances 
strongly  against  it.  For  a  ride  of  ten  miles  through  a 
country  swarming  with  foes  I  could  choose  no  messenger 
I  would  rather  trust,  but  for  a  ride  like  this,  that  re- 
quires patience  and  caution  and  resource,  he  is  not  the 
man  I  should  select.  Bathurst  would  have  succeeded 
almost  certainly  if  he  had  once  got  out.  The  two  mea 
are  as  different  as  light  to  dark;  one  possesses  just  the 
points  the  other  fails  in.  I  have  no  one  at  home  I  want 
to  write  to,  so  I  will  undertake  the  watch  here." 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

THE  men.  on  descending  from  the  roof  found  all  the 
ladies  engaged  in  writing,  the  Major  having  told  them 
that  there  was  a  chance  of  their  letters  being  taken  out. 
Scarce  one  looked  up  as  they  entered;  their  thoughts  at 
the  moment  were  at  home  with  those  to  whom  they  were 
writing  what  might  well  be  their  last  farewells.  Stifled 
sobs  were  heard  in  the  quiet  room;  mournful  letters  were 
blurred  with  tears  even  from  eyes  that  had  not  before 
been  dimmed  since  the  siege  began. 

Isobel  Hannay  was  the  first  to  finish,  for  her  letter  to 
her  mother  was  but  a  jshort  one.  As  she  closed  it  she 
looked  up.  Captain  Forster  was  standing  at  the  other 
side  of  the  table  with  his  eyes  fixed  on  her,  and  he  made 
a  alight  gesture  to  her  that  he  wished  to  speak  to  her. 
She  hesitated  a  moment,  and  then  rose  and  quietly  left 
the  room.  A  moment  later  he  joined  her  outside. 

"Come  out/'  he  said,  "I  must  speak  to  you;"  and 


266  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

together  they  went  out  through  the  passage  into  the 
courtyard. 

"Isobel,"  he  began,  "I  need  not  tell  you  that  I  love 
you;  till  lately  I  have  not  known  how  much,  but  I  feel 
now  that  I  could  not  live  without  you." 

"  Why  are  you  going  away  then,  Captain  Forster? " 
she  asked  quietly. 

"  I  don't  want  to  go  alone,"  he  said;  "  I  cannot  go 
alone — I  want  you  to  go  with  me.  Your  uncle  would 
surely  consent;  it  is  the  only  chance  of  saving  your  life. 
We  all  know  that  it  is  next  to  hopeless  that  a  force  suffi- 
cient to  rescue  us  can  be  sent;  there  is  just  a  chance,  but 
that  is  all  that  can  be  said.  We  could  be  married  at 
Allahabad.  I  would  make  for  that  town  instead  ol  Luck- 
now  if  you  will  go  with  me,  and  I  could  leave  you  there 
in  safety  till  these  troubles  are  over;  I  am  going  to 
take  another  horse  as  well  as  my  own,  and  two  would  be 
as  likely  to  escape  as  one." 

"  Thank  you  for  the  oifer,  Captain  Forster,"  she  said 
coldly,  "but  I  decline  it.  My  place  is  here  with  my 
uncle  and  the  others." 

"Why  is  it?"  he  asked  passionately.  "If  you  love 
me,  your  place  is  surely  with  me;  and  you  do  love  me, 
Isobel,  do  you  not?  Surely  I  have  not  been  mistaken." 

Isobel  was  silent  for  a  moment. 

"  You  were  mistaken,  Captain  Forster,"  she  said,  after 
a  pause.  "  You  paid  me  attentions  such  as  I  had  heard 
you  paid  to  many  others,  and  it  was  pleasant.  That  you 
were  serious  I  did  not  think.  I  believed  you  were  simply 
flirting  with  me;  that  you  meant  no  more  by  it  than  you 
had  meant  before;  and  being  forewarned,  and  therefore 
having  no  fear  that  I  should  hurt  myself  more  than  you 
would,  I  entered  into  it  in  the  same  spirit.  Where  there 
was  so  much  to  be  anxious  about,  it  was  a  pleasure  and 
relief.  Had  I  met  you  elsewhere,  and  under  different 
circumstances,  I  think  I  should  have  come  to  love  you. 
A  girl  almost  without  experience  and  new  to  the  world, 
as  I  am,  could  hardly  have  helped  doing  so,  I  think. 
Had  I  thought  you  were  in  earnest  I  should  have  acted 
differently;  and  if  I  have  deceived  you  by  my  manner  I 
am  sorry;  but  even  had  I  loved  you  I  would  not  have 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  267 

consented  to  do  the  thing  you  ask  me.  You  are  going  on 
duty.  You  are  going  in  the  hope  of  obtaining  aid  for  us. 
I  should  be  simply  escaping  while  others  stay,  and  I 
should  despise  myself  for  the  action.  Besides,  I  do  not 
think  that  even  in  that  case  my  uncle  would  have  con' 
sented  to  my  going  with  you." 

"  I  am  sure  that  he  would,"  Forster  broke  in.  "  He 
would  never  be  mad  enough  to  refuse  you  the  chance  of 
escape  from  such  a  fate  as  may  now  await  you." 

"  We  need  not  discuss  the  question,"  she  said.  "  Even 
if  I  loved  you,  I  would  not  go  with  you;  and  I  do  not 
love  you." 

"They  have  prejudiced  you  against  me,"  he  said 
angrily. 

"  They  warned  me,  and  they  were  right  in  doing  so. 
Ask  yourself  if  they  were  not.  Would  you  see  a  sister 
of  yours  running  the  risk  of  breaking  her  heart  without 
warning  her?  Do  not  be  angry,"  she  went  on,  putting 
her  hand  on  his  arm.  "  We  have  been  good  friends,  Cap- 
tain Forster,  and  I  like  you  very  much.  We  may  never 
meet  again;  it  is  most  likely  we  never  shall  do  so.  I  am 
grateful  to  you  for  the  many  pleasant  hours  you  have 
given  me.  Let  us  part  thus." 

K  Can  you  not  give  some  hope  that  in  the  distance, 
when  these  troubles  are  over,  should  we  both  be  spared, 
you  may "  v 

"  No,  Captain  Forster,  I  am  sure  it  could  never  be  so; 
if  we  ever  meet  again,  we  will  meet  as  we  part  now — as 
friends.  And  now  I  can  stay  no  longer;  they  will  be 
missing  me,"  and,  turning,  she  entered  the  house  before 
he  could  speak  again. 

It  was  some  minutes  before  he  followed  her.  He  had 
not  really  thought  that  she  would  go  with  him;  perhaps 
he  had  hardly  wished  it,  for  on  such  an  expedition  a 
woman  would  necessarily- add  to  the  difficulty  and  danger; 
but  he  had  thought  that  she  would  have  told  him  that 
his  love  was  returned,  and  for  perhaps  the  first  time  in 
hJs  life  he  was  serious  in  his  protestation  of  it. 

"  What  does  it  matter?  "  he  said  at  last,  as  he  turned; 
"tis  ten  thousand  to  one  against  our  meeting  again;  if 
We  do?  I  can  take  it  op  where  it  breaks  off  now.  She  half 


268  RVJVB,  THE  JVGUL'ER. 

acknowledged  that  she  would  have  liked  me  if  she  had 
been  sure  that  I  was  in  earnest.  Next  time  I  shall  be  so. 
She  was  right.  I  was  but  amusing  myself  with  her  at 
first,  and  had  no  more  thought  of  marr/ing  her  than  I 
had  of  flying.  But  there,  it  is  no  use  talking  about  the 
future;  the  thing  now  is  to  get  out  of  this  trap.  I  have 
felt  like  a  rat  in  a  cage  with  a  terrier  watching  me  for 
the  last  month,  and  long  to  be  on  horseback  again,  with 
the  chance  of  making  a  fight  for  my  life.  What  a  fool 
Bathurst  was  to  throw  away  the  chance! " 

Bathurst,  his  work  done,  had  looked  into  the  hall 
where  the  others  were  gathered,  and  hearing  that  the 
Doctor  was  alone  on  watch  had  gone  up  to  him. 

"  I  was  just  thinking,  Bathurst,"  the  Doctor  said,  as 
he  joined  him,  "  about  that  fight  to-day.  It  seems  to  me 
that  whatever  comes  of  this  business,  you  and  I  are  not 
likely  to  be  among  those  who  go  down  when  the  place  is 
taken." 

"  How  is  that,  Doctor?  Why  is  our  chance  better 
than  the  rest?  I  have  no  hope  myself  that  any  will  be 
spared." 

"  I  put  my  faith  in  the  juggler,  Bathurst.  Has  it  not 
struck  you  that  the  first  picture  you  saw  has  come  true?  " 

"  I  have  never  given  it  a  thought  for  weeks,"  Bathurst 
said;  "  certainly  I  have  not  thought  of  it  to-day.  Yes, 
now  you  speak  of  it,  it  has  come  true.  How  strange!  I 
put  it  aside  as  a  clever  trick — one  that  I  could  not  under- 
stand any  more  than  I  did  the  others,  but,  knowing  my- 
self, it  seemed  beyond  the  bounds  of  possibility  that  it 
could  come  true.  Anything  but  that  I  would  have  be- 
lieved, but,  as  I  told  you,  whatever  might  happen  in  the 
future,  I  should  not  be  found  fighting  desperately  as  I  saw 
myself  doing  there.  It  is  true  that  I  did  so,  but  it  wns 
only  a  sort  of  a  frenzy.  I  did  not  fire  a  shot,  as  Wilson 
may  have  told  you.  I  strove  like  a  man  in  a  nightmare 
to  break  the  spell  that  seemed  to  render  me  powerless  to 
move,  but  when,  for  a  moment,  the  firing  ceased,  a 
weight  seemed  to  fall  off  me,  and  I  was  seized  with  a 
sort  of  passion  to  kill.  I  have  no  distinct  remembrance 
of  anything  until  it  was  all  over.  It  was  still  the  night- 
mare, but  one  of  a  different  kind,  and  I  was  no  more 


RUJUBt  THE  JUGGLER.  269 

myself  then  than  I  was  when  I  was  lying  helpless  on  the 
sandbags.  Still,  as  you  say,  the  picture  was  complete;  at 
least,  if  Miss  Hannay  was  standing  up  here." 

"  Yes,  she  rose  to  her  feet  in  the  excitement  of  the 
fight.  I  believe  we  all  did  so.  The  picture  was  true  in 
all  its  details  as  you  described  it  to  me.  And  that  being 
BO,  I  believe  that  other  picture,  the  one  we  saw  together, 
you  and  I  and  Isobel  Hannay  in  native  disguises,  will 
also  come  true." 

Batharst  was  silent  for  two  or  three  minutes. 

"It  may  be  so,  Doctor — Heaven  only  knows.  I  trust 
for  your  sake  and  hers  it  may  be  so,  though  I  care  but 
little  about  myself;  but  that  picture  wasn't  a  final  one, 
and  we  don't  know  what  may  follow  it." 

"  That  is  so,  Bathurst.  But  I  think  that  you  and  I, 
once  fairly  away  in  disguise,  might  be  trusted  to  make 
our  way  down  the  country.  You  see,  we  have  a  complete 
confirmation  of  that  juggler's  powers.  He  showed  me  a 
scene  in  the  past — a  scene  which  had  not  been  in  my 
mind  for  years,  and  was  certainly  not  in  my  thoughts  at 
the  time.  He  showed  you  a  scene  in  the  future,  which, 
unlikely  as  it  appeared,  has  actually  taken  place.  I  be- 
lieve he  will  be  equally  right  in  this  other  picture.  You 
have  heard  that  Forster  is  going?  " 

"  Yes;  Wilson  came  down  and  told  me  while  I  was  at 
work.  Wilson  seemed  rather  disgusted  at  his  volunteer- 
ing. I  don't  know  that  I  am  surprised  myself,  for,  as  I 
told  you,  I  knew  him  at  school,  and  he  had  no  moral 
courage,  though  plenty  of  physical.  Still,  under  the  cir- 
cumstances, I  should  not  have  thought  he  would  have 
gone." 

:e  You  mean  because  of  Miss  Hannay,  Bathurst?" 

"  Yes,  that  is  what  I  mean." 

"  That  sort  of  thing  might  weigh  with  you  or  me, 
Bathurst,  but  not  with  him.  He  has  loved  and  ridden 
away  many  •  times  before  this,  but  in  this  case,  fortu- 
nately, I  don't  think  he  will  leave  an  aching  heart  behind 
him."' 

"  You  don't  mean  to  say,  Doctor,  that  you  don't  think 
she  cares  for  him?  " 

"I  have  not  asked  her  the  question,"  the  Doctor  said 


270  RUJUBt  THE  JUGGLER. 

dryly.  "  I  dare  say  she  likes  him;  in  fact,  I  am  ready  to 
admit  that  there  has  been  what  you  may  call  a  strong 
case  of  flirtation;  but  when  a  young  woman  is  thrown 
with  an  uncommonly  good-looking  man,  who  lays  himself 
out  to  be  agreeable  to  her,  my  experience  is  that  a  flirta- 
tion generally  comes  of  it,  especially  when  the  young 
woman  has  no  one  else  to  make  herself  agreeable  to,  and 
is,  moreover,  a  little  sore  with  the  world  in  general.  I 
own  that  at  one  time  I  was  rather  inclined  to  think  that 
out  of  sheer  perverseness  the  girl  was  going  to  make  a 
fool  of  herself  with  that  good-looking  scamp,  but  since 
we  have  been  shut  up  here  I  have  felt  easy  in  my  mind 
about  it.  And  now,  if  you  will  take  my  rifle  for  ten  min- 
utes, I  will  go  down  and  get  a  cup  of  tea;  I  volunteered 
to  take  sentry-work,  but  I  didn't  bargain  for  keeping 
it  all  night  without  relief.  By  the  way,  I  told  Forster 
of  your  offer  of  your  horse,  and  I  think  he  is  going  to 
take  it." 

"  He  is  welcome  to  it,"  Bathurst  said  carelessly;  "  it 
will  be  of  no  use  to  me." 

"  Now,  look  here,"  the  Doctor  said  shortly;  "  just  put 
Miss  Hannay  out  of  your  head  for  the  present,  and  at- 
tend to  the  business  on  hand.  I  do  not  think  there  is 
much  chance  of  their  trying  it  on  again  to-night,  but 
they  may  do  so,  so  please  to  keep  a  sharp  lookout  while 
I  am  below." 

"  I  will  be  careful,  Doctor,"  Bathurst  said,  with  a 
laugh;  but  the  Doctor  had  so  little  faith  in  his  watchful- 
ness that  as  soon  as  he  went  below  he  sent  up  Wilson  to 
share  his  guard. 

At  twelve  o'clock  the  sandbags  were  removed  suffi- 
ciently to  allow  a  horse  to  pass  through,  and  Forster's 
and  Bathurst's  animals  were  led  out  through  the  breach, 
their  feet  having  been  muffled  with  blankets  to  prevent 
their  striking  a  stone  and  arousing  the  attention  of  the 
enemy's  sentinels.  Once  fairly  out  the  mufflings  were 
removed  and  Forster  sprang  into  his  saddle. 

"Good-by,  Major,"  he  said;  "I  hope  I  may  be  back 
again  in  eight  or  nine  days  with  a  squadron  of  cavalry/* 

"  Good-by,  Forster;  I  hope  it  may  be  so.  May  God  pro- 
tect you! " 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER.  271 

The  gap  in  the  defenses  was  closed  the  instant  the 
horses  passed  through,  and  the  men  stood  in  the  breach 
of  the  wall  listening  as  Forster  rode  off.  He  went  at  a 
walk,  but  before  he  had  gone  fifty  paces  there  was  a 
sharp  challenge,  followed  almost  instantly  by  a  rifle  shot, 
then  came  the  crack  of  a  revolver  and  the  rapid  beat  of 
galloping  hoofs.  Loud  shouts  were  heard,  and  musket 
shots  fired  in  rapid  succession. 

"  They  are  not  likely  to  have  hit  him  in  the  dark," 
the  Major  said,  as  he  climbed  back  over  the  sandbags; 
*but  they  may  hit  his  horses,  which  would  be  just  as 
fatal." 

Leaving  two  sentries — the  one  just  outside  the  breach 
near  the  wall,  the  other  on  the  sandbags — the  rest  of  the 
party  hurried  up  on  the  roof.  Shots  were  still  being 
fired,  and  there  was  a  confused  sound  of  shouting;  then 
a  cavalry  trumpet  rang  out  sharply,  and  presently  three 
shots  fired  in  quick  succession  came  upon  the  air. 

"  That  is  the  signal  agreed  on,"  the  Major  said;  "  he 
if  safely  beyond  their  lines.  Now  it  is  a  question  of  rid- 
ing; some  of  the  cavalry  will  be  in  pursuit  of  him  before 
many  minutes  are  over." 

Forster's  adieus  had  been  brief.  He  had  busied  him- 
self up  to  the  last  moment  in  looking  to  the  saddling  of 
the  two  horses,  and  had  only  gone  into  the  house  and 
said  good-by  to  the  ladies  just  when  it  was  time  to  start. 
He  had  said  a  few  hopeful  words  as  to  the  success  of  the 
mission,  but  it  had  evidently  needed  an  effort  for  him  to 
do  so.  He  had  no  opportunity  of  speaking  a  word  apart 
with  Isobel,  and  he  shook  her  hand  silently  when  it  came 
to  her  turn. 

"  I  should  not  have  given  him  credit  for  so  much  feel- 
ing," Mrs.  Doolan  whispered  to  Isobel,  as  he  went  out; 
"he  was  really  sorry  to  leave  us,  and  I  didn't  think  he 
was  a  man  to  be  sorry  for  anything  that  didn't  affect 
himself.  I  think  he  had  absolutely  the  grace  to  feel  a 
little  ashamed  of  leaving  us." 

"I  don't  think  that  is  fair,"  Isobel  said  warmly, 
"  when  he  is  going  away  to  fetch  assistance  for  us." 

"He  is  deserting  us  as  rats  desert  a  sinking  ship," 
Mrs.  Doolan  said  positively;  "and  I  am  only  surprised  that 


272  RUJUB,  TEE  JUGGLER. 

he  has  the  grace  to  feel  a  little  ashamed  of  the  action.  As 
for  caring,  there  is  only  one  person  in  the  world  he  cares 
for — himself.  I  was  reading  '  David  Copperfield '  just 
before  we  came  in  here,  and  Steerforth's  character  might 
have  been  sketched  from  Forster.  He  is  a  man  without 
either  heart  or  conscience;  a  man  who  would  sacrifice 
everything  to  his  own  pleasures;  and  yet  even  when  one 
knows  him  to  be  what  he  is,  one  can  hardly  help  liking 
him.  I  wonder  how  it  is,  my  dear,  that  scamps  are  gen- 
erally more  pleasant  than  good  men?" 

"  I  never  thought  about  it,  Mrs.  Doolan,"  Isobel  said, 
roused  to  a  smile  by  the  earnestness  with  which  Mrs. 
Doolan  propounded  the  problem;  "  and  can  give  no  rea- 
son except  that  we  are  attracted  by  natures  the  reverse 
of  our  own." 

Mrs.  Doolan  laughed. 

"  So  you  think  we  are  better  than  men,  Isobel?  I 
don't — not  one  bit.  We  are  cramped  in  our  opportuni- 
ties; but  given  equal  opportunities  I  don't  think  there 
would  be  anything  to  choose  between  us.  But  we  musn't 
stay  talking  here  any  longer;  we  both  go  on  duty  in  the 
sick-ward  at  four  o'clock." 

The  enemy's  batteries  opened  on  the  following  morn- 
ing more  violently  than  before.  More  guns  had  been 
placed  in  position  during  the  night,  and  a  rain  of  missiles 
was  poured  upon  the  house.  For  the  next  six  days  the 
position  of  the  besieged  became  hourly  worse.  Several 
breaches  had  been  made  in  the  wall,  and  the  shots  now 
struck  the  house,  and  the  inmates  passed  the  greater 
part  of  their  time  in  the  basement. 

The  heat  was  terrible,  and,  as  the  firing  was  kept  up 
night  and  day,  sleep  was  almost  impossible.  The  number 
of  the  besiegers  had  considerably  increased,  large  num- 
bers of  the  country  people  taking  part  in  the  siege,  while 
a  regiment  of  Sepoys  from  Cawnpore  had  taken  the 
place  of  the  detachment  of  the  103d  Bengal  Infantry,  of 
whom,  indeed,  but  few  now  remained. 

The  garrison  no  longer  held  the  courtyard.  Several 
times  masses  of  the  enemy  had  surged  up  and  poured 
through  the  breaches,  but  a  large  number  of  hand 
grenades  of  various  sizes  had  been  constructed  by  the 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  273 

defenders,  and  the  effects  of  these  thrown  down  from 
the  roof  among  the  crowded  masses  were  so  terrible  that 
the  natives  each  time  fell  back.  The  horses  had  all  been 
turned  out  through  the  breach  on  the  day  after  Captain 
Forster's  departure,  in  order  to  save  their  lives.  A 
plague  of  flies  was  not  the  least  of  the  defenders'  troubles. 
After  the  repulse  of  the  assaults  the  defenders  went  out 
at  night  and  carried  the  bodies  of  the  natives  who  had 
fallen  in  the  courtyard  beyond  the  wall.  Nevertheless, 
the  odor  of  blood  attracted  such  countless  swarms  of 
fiies  that  the  ground  was  black  with  them,  and  they  per- 
vaded the  house  in  legions. 

The  number  of  the  defenders  decreased  daily.  Six  only 
were  able  now  to  carry  arms.  Mr.  Hunter,  Captain  Kin- 
toul,  and  Richards  had  died  of  fever.  Farquharson  had 
been  killed  by  a  cannon  ball;  two  civilians  had  been 
badly  wounded;  several  of  the  children  had  succumbed; 
Amy  Hunter  had  been  killed  by  a  shell  that  passed 
through  the  sandbag  protection  of  the  grating  that  gave 
light  to  the  room  in  the  basement  used  as  a  sick-ward. 
The  other  ladies  were  all  utterly  worn  out  with  ex- 
haustion, sleeplessness,  and  anxiety.  Still  there  had  been 
no  word  spoken  of  surrender.  Had  the  men  been  alone 
they  would  have  sallied  out  and  died  fighting,  but  this 
would  have  left  the  women  at  the  mercy  of  the  assailants. 

The  work  at  the  gallery  had  been  discontinued  for 
some  time.  It  had  been  carried  upwards  until  a  number 
of  roots  in  the  earth  showed  that  they  were  near  the  sur- 
face, and,  as  they  believed,  under  a  clump  of  bushes 
growing  a  hundred  and  fifty  yards  beyond  the  walls;  but 
of  late  there  had  been  no  talk  of  using  this.  Flight, 
which  even  at  first  had  seemed  almost  hopeless,  was 
wholly  beyond  them  in  their  present  weakened  condition. 

On  the  last  of  these  six  days  Major  Hannay  was 
severely  wounded.  At  night  the  enemy's  fire  relaxed  a 
little,  and  the  ladies  took  advantage  of  it  to  go  up  onto 
the  terrace  for  air,  while  the  men  gathered  for  a  council 
round  the  Major's  bed. 

"  Well,  Doctor,  the  end  is  pretty  near,"  he  said;  "it  is 
clear  we  cannot  hold  out  many  hours  longer.  We  must 
look  the  matter  in  the  face  now.  We  have  agreed  &11 


274  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER 

along  that  when  we  could  no  longer  resist  we  would 
offer  to  surrender  on  the  terms  that  our  lires  should  be 
spared,  and  that  we  should  be  given  safe  conduct  down 
the  country,  and  that  if  those  terms  were  refused  we 
were  to  resist  to  the  end,  and  then  blow  up  the  house 
and  all  in  it.  I  think  the  time  has  come  for  raising  the 
white  flag." 

"  I  think  so,"  the  Doctor  said;  "  we  have  done  every- 
thing men  could  do.  I  have  little  hope  that  they  will 
grant  us  terms  of  surrender;  for  from  the  native  servants 
who  have  deserted  us  they  must  have  a  fair  idea  of  our 
condition.  What  do  you  think,  Bathurst?" 

"  I  think  it  probable  there  are  divisions  among  them, ' 
he  replied;  "  the  Talookdars  may  have  risen  against  us, 
bat  I  do  not  think  they  can  have  the  same  deadly  enmity 
the  Sepoys  have  shown.  They  must  be  heartily  sick  of 
this  prolonged  siege,  and  they  have  lost  large  numbers 
of  their  men.  I  should  say  they  would  be  willing  enough 
to  give  terms,  but  probably  they  are  overruled  by  the 
Sepoys,  and  perhaps  by  orders  from  Nana  Sahib.  I  know 
several  of  them  personally,  and  I  think  I  could  influence 
Por  Sing,  who  is  certainly  the  most  powerful  of  the 
Zemindars  of  this  neighborhood,  and  is  probably  looked 
upon  as  their  natural  leader;  if  you  approve  of  it.  Major, 
I  will  go  out  in  disguise,  and  endeavor  to  obtain  an  in- 
terview with  him.  He  is  an  honorable  man;  and  if  he  will 
give  his  guarantee  for  our  safety,  I  would  trust  him.  At 
any  rate,  I  can  but  try.  If  I  do  not  return,  you  will  know 
that  I  am  dead,  and  that  no  terms  can  be  obtained,  and 
can  then  decide  when  to  end  it  all." 

"It  is  worth  the  attempt  anyhow,"  the  Major  said. 
"I  say  nothing  about  the  danger  you  will  run,  for  no 
danger  can  b2  greater  than  that  which  hangs  over  us 
all  now." 

"  Very  well,  Major,  then  I  will  do  it  at  once,  but  you 
must  not  expect  me  back  until  to-morrow  night.  I  can 
hardly  hope  to  obtain  an  interview  with-  Por  Sing  to- 
night." 

"How  will  you  go  out,  Bathurst?" 

"  I  will  go  down  at  once  and  break  in  the  roof  of  the 
gallery,"  he  said;  "v/e  know,  they  are  close  round  the 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER.  275 

wall,  and  I  could  not  hope  to  get  out  through  any  of  the 
breaches." 

"I  suppose  you  are  quite  convinced  that  there  is  no 
hope  of  relief  from  Lucknow?  " 

"  Quite  convinced.  I  never  had  any  real  hope  of  it; 
but  had  there  been  a  force  disposable,  it  would  have 
started  at  once  if  Forster  arrived  there  with  his  message, 
and  might  have  been  here  by  this  time." 

"  At  any  rate,  we  can  wait  no  longer." 

"  Then  we  will  begin  at  once,"  Bathurst  said,  and, 
taking  a  crowbar  and  pick  from  the  place  where  the 
tools  were  kept,  he  lighted  the  lamp  and  went  along  the 
gallery,  accompanied  by  the  Doctor,  who  carried  two  light 
bamboo  ladders. 

"Do  you  think  you  will  succeed,  Bathurst?" 

"  I  am  pretty  sure  of  it,"  he  said  confidently.  "  I  be- 
lieve I  have  a  friend  there." 

"A  friend! "  the  Doctor  repeated  in  surprise. 

"Yes;  I  am  convinced  that  the  juggler  is  there.  Not 
once,  but  half  a  dozen  times  during  the  last  two  nights 
when  I  have  been  on  watch  on  the  terrace,  I  have  dis- 
tinctly heard  the  words  whispered  in  my  ear,  '  Meet  me 
at  your  bungalow/  You  may  think  I  dozed  off  and  was 
dreaming,  but  I  was  as  wide  awake  then  as  I  am  now.  I 
cannot  say  that  I  recognized  the  voice,  but  the  words 
were  in  the  dialect  he  speaks.  At  any  rate,  as  soon  as  I 
am  out  I  shall  make  my  way  there,  and  shall  wait  there 
all  night  on  the  chance  of  his  coming.  After  what  we 
know  of  the  man's  strange  powers,  there  seems  nothing 
unreasonable  to  me  in  his  being  able  to  impress  upon  my 
mind  the  fact  that  he  wants  to  see  me." 

"I  quite  agree  with  you, there,  and  his  aid  might  be 
invaluable.  You  are  not  the  sort  of  man  to  have  de- 
lusions, Bathurst,  and- 1  quite  believe  what  you  say.  I 
feel  more  hopeful  now  than  I  have  done  for  some  time." 

An  hour's  hard  work,  and  a  hole  was  made  through 
the  soil,  which  was  but  three  feet  thick.  Bathurst 
climbed  up  the  ladder  and  looked  out. 

"  It  is  as  we  thought,  Doctor;  we  are  in  the  middle  of 
that  thicket.  Now  I  will  go  and  dress  if  you  will  keep 
guard  here  with  your  rifle." 


276  RUJUBi  THE  JUGGLER. 

At  the  end  of  the  gallery  a  figure  was  standing;  it  was 
Isobel  Hannay. 

"  I  have  heard  you  are  going  out  again,  Mr.  Bathurst." 

"  Yes,  I  am  going  to  see  what  I  can  do  in  the  way  of 
making  terms  for  us." 

"  You  may  not  come  back  again,"  she  said  nervously. 

"That  is,  of  course,  possible,  Miss  Hannay,  but  I  do 
not  think  the  risk  is  greater  than  that  run  by  those  .who 
stay  here." 

"  I  want  to  speak  to  you  before  you  go,"  she  said;  "  I 
have  wanted  to  speak  so  long,  but  you  have  never  given 
me  an  opportunity.  We  may  never  meet  again,  and  I 
must  tell  you  how  sorry  I  am — how  sorry  I  have  been 
ever  since  for  what  I  said.  I  spoke  as  a  foolish  girl,  but 
I  know  better  now.  Have  I  not  seen  how  calm  you  have 
been  through  all  our  troubles,  how  you  have  devoted 
yourself  to  us  and  the  children,  how  you  have  kept  up 
all  our  spirits,  how  cheerfully  you  have  worked,  and  as 
our  trouble  increased  we  have  all  come  to  look  up  to  you 
and  lean  upon  you.  Do  say,  Mr.  Bathurst,  that  you  for- 
give me,  and  that  if  you  return  we  can  be  friends  as  we 
were  before." 

"  Certainly  I  forgive  you  if  there  is  anything  to  for- 
give, Miss  Hannay,"  he  said  gravely.  "  Nothing  that  you 
or  anyone  can  say  can  relieve  me  of  the  pain  of  knowing 
that  I  have  been  unable  to  take  any  active  part  in  your 
defense,  that  I  have  been  forced  to  play  the  part  of  a 
woman  rather  than  a  man;  but  assuredly,  if  I  return,  I 
shall  be  glad  to  be  again  your  friend,  which,  indeed,  I 
have  never  ceased  to  be  at  heart." 

Perhaps  she  expected  something  more,  but  it  did  not 
come.  He  spoke  cordially,  but  yet  as  one  who  felt  that 
there  was  an  impassible  barrier  between  them.  She  stood 
irresolute  for  a  moment,  and  then  held  out  her  hand. 

"  Good-by,  then,"  she  said. 

He  held  it  a  moment.  "  Good-by,  Miss  Hannay.  May 
God  keep  you  and  guard  you."  Then  gently  he  led  her  to 
the  door,  and  they  passed  out  together.  A  quarter  of  an 
hour  later  he  rejoined  the  Doctor,  having  brought  with 
him  a  few  short  lengths  of  bamboo. 

"I  will  put  these  across  the  hole  when  I  get  out,"  he 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  27? 

said,  "  lay  some  sods  over  them,  and  cover  them  up  with 
leaves,  in  case  anyone  should  enter  the  bushes  to-morrow. 
It  is  not  likely,  but  it  is  as  well  to  take  the  precaution. 
One  of  you  had  better  stay  on  guard  until  I  come  back. 
It  would  not  do  to  trust  any  of  the  natives;  those  that 
remain  are  all  utterly  disheartened  and  broken  down, 
and  might  take  the  opportunity  of  purchasing  their  lives 
by  going  out  and  informing  the  enemy  of  the  opening  into 
the  gallery.  They  must  already  know  of  its  existence 
from  the  men  who  have  deserted.  But,  fortunately,  I 
don't  think  any  of  them  are  aware  of  its  exact  direction; 
if  they  had  been,  we  should  have  had  them  countermining 
before  this." 

Having  carefully  closed  up  the  opening,  Bathurst  went 
to  the  edge  of  the  bushes  and  listened.  He  could  hear 
voices  between  him  and  the  house,  but  all  was  quiet  near 
at  hand,  and  he  began  to  move  noiselessly  along  through 
the  garden.  He  had  no  great  fear  of  meeting  with  any- 
one here.  The  natives  had  formed  a  cordon  round  the 
wall,  and  behind  that  there  would  be  no  one  on  watch, 
and  as  the  batteries  were  silent,  all  were  doubtless  asleep 
there.  In  ten  minutes  he  stood  before  the  charred 
stumps  that  marked  the  site  of  his  bungalow.  As  he  did 
so,  a  figure  advanced  to  meet  him. 

"  It  is  you,  sahib.  I  was  expecting  you.  I  knew  that 
you  would  come  this  evening." 

"  I  don't  know  how  you  knew  it,  but  I  am  heartily 
glad  to  see  you." 

"You  want  to  see  Por  Sing?  Come  along  with  me 
and  I  will  take  you  to  him;  but  there  is  no  time  to  lose;" 
and  without  another  word  he  walked  rapidly  away,  fol- 
lowed by  Bathurst. 

When  they  got  into  the  open  the  latter  could  see  that 
his  companion  was  dressed  in  an  altogether  different 
garb  to  that  in  which  he  had  before  seen  him,  being 
attired  as  a  person  of  some  rank  and  importance.  He 
stopped  presently  for  Bathurst  to  come  up  with  him. 

"  I  have  done  what  I  could  to  prepare  the  way  for 
you,"  he  said.  "  Openly  I  could  for  certain  reasons  do 
nothing,  but  I  have  said  enough  to  make  him  feel  un- 
comfortable about  the  future,  and  to  render  him  anxious 


278  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

to  find  a  way  of  escape  for  himself  if  your  people  should 
ever  again  get  the  mastery." 

"  How  are  things  going,  Kujub  ?  We  have  heard  noth- 
ing for  three  weeks.  How  is  it  at  Cawnpore?" 

"  Cawnpore  has  been  taken  by  the  Nana.  They  sur- 
rendered on  his  solemn  oath  that  all  should  be  allowed 
to  depart  in  safety.  He  broke  his  oath,  and  there  are  not 
ten  of  its  defenders  alive.  The  women  are  all  in 
captivity." 

Bathurst  groaned.  He  had  hardly  hoped  that  the 
handful  of  defenders  could  have  maintained  themselves 
against  such  overpowering  numbers,  but  the  certainty 
as  to  their  fate  was  a  heavy  blow. 

"And  Lucknow?"  he  asked. 

"  The  Residency  holds  out  at  present,  but  men  say  that 
it  must  soon  fall." 

"  And  what  do  you  say?  " 

"  I  say  nothing,"  the  man  said;  "  we  cannot  use  our  art 
in  matters  which  concern  ourselves." 

"And  Delhi?" 

"There  is  a  little  force  of  whites  in  front  of  Delhi; 
there  are  tens  of  thousands  of  Sepoys  in  the  town,  but 
as  yet  the  whites  have  maintained  themselves.  The 
chiefs  of  the  Punjaub  have  proved  faithless  to  their 
country,  and  there  the  British  rule  is  maintained." 

"  Thank  God  for  that!  "  Bathurst  exclaimed;  "  as  long 
as  the  Punjaub  holds  out  the  tables  may  be  turned.  And 
the  other  Presidencies?" 

"  Nothing  as  yet,"  Rujub  said,  in  a  tone  of  discontent. 

"  Then  you  are  against  us,  Rujub?  " 

The  man  stopped. 

"Sahib,  I  know  not  what  I  wish  now.  I  have  been 
brought  up  to  hate  the  whites.  Two  of  my  father's 
brothers  were  hung  as  Thugs,  and  my  father  taught  me 
to  hate  the  men  who  did  it.  For  years  I  have  worked 
quietly  against  you,  as  have  most  of  those  of  my  craft. 
We  have  reason  to  hate  you.  In  the  old  times  we  were 
honored  in  the  land — honored  and  feared;  for  even  t'ho 
great  ones  knew  that  we  had  powers  such  as  no  other 
men  have.  But  the  whites  treat  us  as  if  we  were  mere 
buffoons,  who  play  for  their  amusement;  they  make  no 


BUJUB,  TEE  JUGGLER, 

distinction  between  the  wandering  conjurer,  with  hi& 
tricks  of  dexterity,  and  the  masters,  who  have  powers 
that  have  been  handed  down  from  father  to  son  for 
thousands  of  years,  who  can  communicate  with  each 
other  though  separated  by  the  length  of  India;  who  can, 
as  you  have  seen,  make  men  invisible;  who  can  read  the 
past  and  the  future.  They  see  these  things,  and  though 
they  cannot  explain  them,  they  persist  in  treating  us  all 
as  if  we  were  mere  jugglers. 

"  They  prefer  to  deny  the  evidence  of  their  own  senses 
rather  than  admit  that  we  have  powers  such  as  they  have 
not;  and  so,  even  in  the  eyes  of  our  own  countrymen,  we 
have  lost  our  old  standing  and  position,  while  the  whites 
would  bribe  us  with  money  to  divulge  the  secrets  in 
which  they  profess  to  disbelieve.  No  wonder  that  we 
hate  you,  and  that  we  long  for  the  return  of  the  old  days, 
when  even  princes  were  glad  to  ask  favors  at  our  hands. 
It  is  seldom  that  we  show  our  powers  now.  Those  who 
aid  us,  and  whose  servants  we  are,  are  not  to  be  insulted 
by  the  powers  they  bestow  upon  us  being  used  for  the 
amusement  of  men  who  believe  in  nothing. 

"  The  Europeans  who  first  came  to  India  have  left 
records  of  the  strange  things  they  saw  at  the  courts  of 
the  native  princes.  But  such  things  are  no  longer  done 
for  the  amusement  of  our  white  masters.  Thus,  then, 
for  years  I  have  worked  against  you;  and  just  as  I  saw 
that  our  work  was  successful,  just  as  all  was  prepared 
for  the  blow  that  was  to  sweep  the  white  men  out  of 
India,  you  saved  my  daughter;  then  my  work  seemed  to 
come  to  an  end.  Would  any  of  my  countrymen,  armed 
only  with  a  whip,  have  thrown  themselves  in  the  way  of 
a  tiger  to  save  a  women — a  stranger — one  altogether  be- 
neath him  in  rank — one,  as  it  were,  dust  beneath  his 
feet?  That  I  should  be  ready  to  give  my  life  for  yours 
was  a  matter  of  course;  I  should  have  been  an  ungrateful 
wretch  otherwise.  But  this  was  not  enough.  At  one 
blow  the  work  I  had  devoted  myself  to  for  years  was 
brought  to  nothing.  Everything  seemed  to  me  new;  and 
as  I  sat  by  my  daughter's  bedside,  when  she  lay  sick  with 
the  fever,  I  had  to  think  it  all  out  again.  Then  I  saw 
things  in  another  light.  I  saw  that,  though  the  white 


280  RUJVB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

men  were  masterful  and  often  hard,  though  they  hacl 
little  regard  for  our  customs,  and  viewed  our  beliefs  as 
superstitious,  and  scoffed  at  the  notion  of  there  being 
powers  of  which  they  had  no  knowledge,  yet  that  they 
were  a  great  people.  Other  conquerors,  many  of  them, 
India  has  had,  but  none  who  have  made  it  their  first  object 
to  care  for  the  welfare  of  the  people  at  large.  The  Ferin- 
ghees  have  wrung  nothing  from  the  poor  to  be  spent  in 
pomp  and  display;  they  permit  no  tyranny  or  ill-doing; 
under  them  the  poorest  peasant  tills  his  fields  in  peace. 

"  I  have  been  obliged  to  see  all  this,  and  I  feel  now  that 
their  destruction  would  be  a  frighful  misfortune.  We 
should  be  ruled  by  our  native  lords;  but  as  soon  as  the 
white  man  was  gone  the  old  quarrels  would  break  out, 
and  the  country  would  be  red  with  blood.  I  did  not  see 
this  before,  because  I  had  only  looked  at  it  with  the  eyes 
of  my  own  caste;  now  I  see  it  with  the  eyes  of  one  whose 
daughter  has  been  saved  from  a  tiger  by  a  white  man. 
I  cannot  love  those  I  have  been  taught  to  hate,  but  I  can 
see  the  benefit  their  rule  has  given  to  India. 

"  But  what  can  I  do  now?  I  am  in  the  stream,  and  I 
must  go  with  it.  I  know  not  what  I  wish  or  what  I  would 
do.  Six  months  ago  I  felt  certain.  Now  I  doubt.  It 
seemed  to  me  that  in  a  day  the  English  Raj  would  be 
swept  away.  How  could  it  be  otherwise  when  the  whole 
army  that  had  conquered  India  for  them  were  against 
them?  I  knew  they  were  brave,  but  we  have  never  lacked 
bravery..  How  could  I  tell  that  they  would  fight  one 
against  a  hundred? 

"  But  come,  let  us  go  on.  For  Sing  is  expecting  you. 
I  told  him  that  I  knew  that  one  from  the  garrison  would 
come  out  to  treat  with  him  privately  to-night,  and  he  is 
expecting  you,  though  he  does  not  know  who  may  come." 

Ten  minutes  walking,  and  they  approached  a  large  tent 
surrounded  by  several  smaller  ones.  A  sentry  challenged 
when  they  approached,  but  on  Rujub  giving  his  name, 
he  at  once  resumed  his  walk  up  and  down,  and  Rujub, 
followed  by  Bathurst,  advanced  and  entered  the  tent. 
The  Zemindar  was  seated  on  a  divan,  smoking  a  hookah. 
Rujub  bowed,  but  not  with  the  deep  reverence  of  one 
approaching  his  superior. 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGQLER.  281 

is  here/'  he  said. 

"Then  you  were  not  mistaken,  Rujub?" 

"How  could  I  be  when  I  knew?"  Rujub  said.  "I 
have  done  what  I  said,  and  have  brought  him  straight  to 
you.  That  was  all  I  had  to  do  with  it;  the  rest  is  for 
your  highness." 

"  I  would  rather  that  you  should  be  present/'  For 
Sing  said,  as  Rujub  turned  to  withdraw. 

"  No,"  the  latter  replied;  "  in  this  matter  it  is  for  you 
to  decide.  I  know  not  the  Nana's  wishes,  and  your  high- 
ness must  take  the  responsibility.  I  have  brought  him  to 
you  rather  than  to  the  commander  of  the  Sepoys,  be- 
cause your  authority  should  be  the  greater;  it  is  you  and 
the  other  Oude  chiefs  who  have  borne  the  weight  of  this 
siege,  and  it  is  only  right  that  it  is  you  who  should  de- 
cide the  conditions  of  surrender.  The  Sepoys  are  not 
our  masters,  and  it  is  well  they  are  not  so;  the  Nana  and 
the  Oude  chiefs  have  not  taken  up  arms  to  free  them- 
selves from  the  English  Raj  to  be  ruled  over  by  the  men 
who  have  been  the  servants  of  the  English." 

"  That  is  so,"  the  Zemindar  said,  stroking  his  beard; 
"well,  I  will  talk  with  this  person." 

Rujub  left  the  tent.  "You  do  not  know  me,  For 
Sing? "  Bathurst  said,  stepping  forward  from  the  en- 
trance where  he  had  hitherto  stood;  "I  am  the  Sahib 
Bathurst." 

"Is  it  so?"  the  Zemindar  said,  laying  aside  his  pipe 
and  rising  to  his  feet;  "  none  could  come  to  me  whom  I 
would  rather  see.  You  have  always  proved  yourself  a 
just  officer,  and  I  have  no  complaint  against  you.  We 
have  often  broken  bread  together,  and  it  has  grieved  me 
to  know  that  you  were  in  yonder  house.  Do  you  come 
to  me  on  your  own  account,  or  from  the  sahib  who  com- 
mands? " 

"  I  come  on  my  own  account,"  Bathurst  said;  "  when  I 
come  as  a  messenger  from  him,  I  must  come  openly.  I 
know  you  to  be  an  honorable  man,  and  that  I  could  say 
what  I  have  to  say  to  you  and  depart  in  safety.  I  regard 
you  as  one  who  has  been  misled,  and  regret  for  your  sake 
that  you  should  have  been  induced  to  take  part  with 
these  mutineers  against  us.  Believe  me,  chief,  you  have 


282  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

been  terribly  misled.  You  have  been  told  that  it  needed 
but  an  effort  to  overthrow  the  British  Baj.  Those  who 
told  you  so  lied.  It  might  have  seemed  easy  to  destroy 
the  handful  of  Europeans  scattered  throughout  India, 
but  you  have  not  succeeded  in  doing  it.  Even  had  you 
done  so,  you  would  not  have  so  much  as  begun  the  work. 
There  are  but  few  white  soldiers  here.  Why?  Because 
England  trusted  in  the  fidelity  of  her  native  troops,  and 
thought  it  necessary  to  keep  only  a  handful  of  soldiers 
in  India,  but  if  need  be,  for  every  soldier  now  here  she 
could  send  a  hundred,  and  she  will  send  a  hundred  if  re- 
quired to  reconquer  India.  Already  you  may  be  sure  that 
ships  are  on  the  sea  laden  with  troops;  and  if  you  find  it 
so  hard  to  overcome  the  few  soldiers  now  here,  what 
would  you  do  against  the  great  armies  that  will  pour  in 
ere  long?  Why,  all  the  efforts  of  the  Sepoys  gathered  at 
Delhi  are  insufficient  to  defeat  the  four  or  five  thousand 
British  troops  who  hold  their  posts  outside  the  town, 
waiting  only  till  the  succor  arrives  from  England  to  take 
a  terrible  vengeance.  Woe  be  then  to  those  who  have 
taken  part  against  us;  still  more  to  those  whose  hands 
are  stained  with  British  blood/' 

"  It  is  too  late  now,"  the  native  said  gloomily,  "  the  die 
is  cast;  but  since  I  have  seen  how  a  score  of  men  could 
defend  that  shattered  house  against  thousands,  do  you 
think  I  have  not  seen  that  I  have  been  wrong?  Who 
would  have  thought  that  men  could  do  such  a  thing?  But 
it  is  too  late  now." 

"It  is  not  too  late,"  Bathurst  said;  "it  is  too  late,  indeed, 
to  undo  the  mischief  that  has  been  done,  but  not  too  late 
for  you  to  secure  yourself  against  some  of  the  conse- 
quences. The  English  are  just;  and  when  they  shall  have 
stamped  out  this  mutiny,  as  assuredly  they  will  do,  they 
will  draw  a  distinction  between  mutinous  soldiers  who 
were  false  to  their  salt,  and  native  chiefs  who  fought,  as 
they  believed,  for  the  independence  of  their  country.  But 
one  thing  they  will  not  forgive,  whether  in  Sepoy  or  in 
prince,  the  murder  of  man,  woman,  or  child  in  cold  blood: 
for  that  there  will  be  no  pardon. 

"  But  it  is  not  upon  that  ground  that  I  came  to  appeal 
to  you,  but  as  a  noble  of  Oude — a  man  who  is  a  brave 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER.  283 

enemy,  but  who  could  never  be  a  butcher.  We  have 
fought  against  each  other  fairly  and  evenly;  the  time  has 
come  when  we  can  fight  no  longer,  and  I  demand  of  you, 
confidently,  that,  if  we  surrender,  the  lives  of  all  within 
those  walls  shall  be  respected,  and  a  safe  conduct  be 
granted  them  down  the  country.  I  know  that  such  con- 
ditions were  granted  to  the  garrison  at  Cawnpore,  and 
that  they  were  shamelessly  violated;  for  that  act  Nana 
Sahib  will  never  be  forgiven.  He  will  be  hunted  down 
like  a  dog  and  hung  when  he  is  caught,  just  as  if  he  had 
been  the  poorest  peasant.  But  I  have  not  so  bad  an 
opinion  of  the  people  of  India  as  to  believe  them  base 
enough  to  follow  such  an  example,  and  I  am  confident 
that  if  you  grant  us  those  terms,  you  will  see  that  the 
conditions  are  observed." 

"  I  have  received  orders  from  Nana  Sahib  to  send  all 
prisoners  down  to  him,"  Por  Sing  said,  in  a  hesitating 
voice. 

"  You  will  never  send  down  prisoners  from  here/* 
Bathurst  replied  firmly.  "  You  may  attack  us  again,  and 
after  the  loss  of  the  lives  of  scores  more  of  your  followers 
you  may  be  successful,  but  you  will  take  no  prisoners, 
for  at  the  last  moment  we  will  blow  the  house  and  all 
in  it  into  the  air.  Besides,  who  made  Nana  Sahib  your 
master?  He  is  not  the  lord  of  Oude;  and  though  doubt- 
less he  dreams  of  sovereignty,  it  is  a  rope,  not  a  throne, 
that  awaits  him.  Why  should  you  nobles  of  Oude  obey 
the  orders  of  this  peasant  boy,  though  he  was  adopted 
by  the  Peishwa?  The  Peishwa  himself  was  never  your 
lord,  and  why  should  you  obey  this  traitor,  this  butcher, 
this  disgrace  to  India,  wlien  he  orders  you  to  hand  over 
to  him  the  prisoners  your  sword  has  made?" 

"  That  is  true,"  Por  Sing  said  gloomily;  "  but  the 
Sepoys  will  not  agree  to  the  terms." 

"  The  Sepoys  are  not  your  masters,"  Bathurst  said; 
"  we  do  not  surrender  to  them,  but  to  you.  We  place  no 
confidence  in  their  word,  but  we  have  every  faith  in  the 
honor  of  the  nobles  of  Oude.  If  you  and  your  friends 
grant  us  the  terms  we  ask,  the  Sepoys  may  clamor,  but 
they  will  not  venture  to  do  more.  Neither  they  nor  Nana 
Sahib  dare  at  this  moment  affront  the  people  of  Oude. 


284  RUJVB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

There  are  Sepoys  round  Lucknow,  but  it  is  the  men  of 
Oude  who  are  really  pressing  the  siege.  If  you  are  firm, 
they  will  not  dare  to  break  with  you  on  such  a  question 
as  the  lives  of  a  score  of  Europeans.  If  you  will  give  ma 
your  word  and  your  honor  that  all  shall  be  spared,  1  will 
come  out  in  the  morning  with  a  flag  of  truce  to  treat 
with  you.  If  not,  we  will  defend  ourselves  to  the  last, 
and  then  blow  ourselves  into  the  air." 

"  And  you  think,"  For  Sing  said  doubtfully,  "  that  if 
I  agreed  to  this,  it  would  be  taken  into  consideration 
should  the  British  Raj  be  restored." 

"  I  can  promise  you  that  it  will/'  Bathurst  said.  "  It 
will  be  properly  represented  that  it  is  to  you  that  the 
defenders  of  Deennugghur,  and  the  women  and  chil- 
dren with  them,  owe  their  lives,  and  you  may  be  sure 
that  this  will  go  a  very  long  way  towards  wiping  out  the 
part  you  have  taken  in  the  attack  on  the  station.  When 
the  day  of  reckoning  comes,  the  British  Government  will 
know  as  well  how  to  reward  those  who  rendered  them 
service  in  these  days,  as  to  punish  those  who  have  been 
our  foes/' 

"  I  will  do  it,"  For  Sing  said  firmly.  "  Do  not  come 
out  until  the  afternoon.  In  the  morning  I  will  talk  with 
the  other  Zemindars,  and  bring  them  over  to  agree  that 
there  shall  be  no  more  bloodshed.  There  is  not  one  of 
us  but  is  heartily  sick  of  this  business,  and  eager  to  put 
an  end  to  it.  Rujub  may  report  what  he  likes  to  the 
Nana,  I  will  do  what  is  right." 

After  a  hearty  expression  of  thanks,  Bathurst  left  the 
•^ent.  Rujub  was  awaiting  him  outside. 

"You  have  succeeded?"  he  asked. 

"Yes;  he  will  guarantee  the  lives  of  all  the  garrison, 
but  he  seemed  to  be  afraid  of  what  you  might  report  to 
Nana  Sahib." 

"I  am  the  Nana's  agent  here,"  Rujub  said;  "I  have 
been  working  with  him  for  months.  I  would  I  could 
undo  it  all  now.  I  was  away  when  they  surrendered  at 
Cawnpore.  Had  I  not  been,  that  massacre  would  never 
have  taken  place,  for  I  am  one  of  the  few  who  have  in- 
fluence with  him.  He  is  fully  cognizant  of  my  power, 
and  fears  it." 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER 

They  made  their  way  back  without  interruption  to  the 
elump  of  bushes  near  the  house. 

"When  shall  I  see  you  again?"  Bathurst  asked. 

"  I  do  not  know,"  replied  Rujub,  "  but  be  sure  that  I 
shall  be  at  hand  to  aid  you  if  possible  should  danger 
arise/* 

CHAPTER  XVIIL 

As  soon  as  Bathurst  began  to  remove  the  covering  of 
the  hole,  a  voice  came  from  below. 

"Is  that  you,  Bathurst?" 

"  All  right,  Doctor." 

"  Heaven  be  praised!  You  are  back  sooner  than  I  ex- 
pected, by  a  long  way.  I  heard  voices  talking,  8O  I 
doubted  whether  it  was  you." 

"The  ladder  is  still  there,  I  suppose,  Doctor?" 

"  Yes;  it  is  just  as  you  got  of!  it.  What  are  you  going 
to  do  about  the  hole?" 

"  Rujub  is  here;  he  will  cover  it  up  after  me." 

"  Then  you  were  right,"  the  Doctor  said,  as  Bathurst 
stepped  down  beside  him;  "  and  you  found  the  juggler 
really  waiting  for  you?  " 

"  At  the  bungalow,  Doctor,  as  I  expected." 

"And  what  have  you  done?  You  can  hardly  have 
seen  For  Sing;  it  is  not  much  over  an  hour  since  you 
left." 

"  I  have  seen  him,  Doctor;  and  what  is  more,  he  has 
pledged  his  word  for  our  safety." 

"  Thank  God  for  that,  lad;  it  is  more  than  I  expected. 
This  will  be  news  indeed  for  the  poor  women.  And  do 
you  think  he  will  be  strong  enough  to  keep  his  pledge?  " 

"I  think  so;  he  asked  me  to  wait  until  to-morrow 
afternoon  before  going  out  with  a  flag  of  truce,  and  said 
that  by  that  time  he  would  get  the  other  Zemindars  to 
stand  by  him,  and  would  make  terms  whether  the  Sepoys 
liked  it  or  not." 

"  Well,  you  shall  tell  us  all  about  it  afterwards,  Bath- 
urst; let  us  take  the  news  in  to  them  at  once;  it  is  long 
since  they  had  good  tidings  of  any  kind;  it  would  be  cruel 
to  keep  them  in  suspense,  even  for  five  minutes." 


286  RUJUB.   THE  JUGGLER. 

There  was  no  noisy  outburst  of  joy  when  the  news 
was  told.  Three  weeks  before  it  would  have  been  re- 
ceived with  the  liveliest  satisfaction,  but  now  the  bitter- 
ness of  death  was  well-nigh  past;  half  the  children  lay  in 
their  graves  in  the  garden,  scarce  one  of  the  ladies  but  had 
lost  husband  or  child,  and  while  women  murmured 
"  Thank  God! "  as  they  clasped  their  children  to  them, 
the  tears  ran  down  as  they  thought  how  different  it 
would  have  been  had  the  news  come  sooner.  The  men, 
although  equally  quiet,  yet  showed  more  outward  satis- 
faction than  the  women.  Warm  grasps  of  the  hands 
were  exchanged  by  those  who  had  fought  side  by  side 
during  these  terrible  days,  and  a  load  seemed  lifted  at 
once  off  their  shoulders. 

Bathurst  stayed  but  a  moment  in  the  room  after  this 
news  was  told,  but  went  in  with  Dr.  Wade  to  the  Major, 
and  reported  to  him  in  full  the  conversation  that  had 
taken  place  between  himself  and  For  Sing. 

"  I  think  you  are  right,  Bathurst;  if  the  Oude  men 
hold  together,  the  Sepoys  will  scarcely  risk  a  breach  with 
them.  Whether  he  will  be  able  to  secure  our  safety  after- 
wards is  another  thing." 

"  I  quite  see  that,  Major;  but  it  seems  to  me  that  we 
have  no  option  but  to  accept  his  offer  and  hope  for  the 
best." 

"  That  is  it,"  the  Doctor  agreed.  "  It  is  certain  death 
if  we  don't  surrender;  there  is  a  chance  that  he  will  be 
able  to  protect  us  if  we  do.  At  any  rate,  we  can  be  no 
worse  off  than  we  are  here." 

Isobel  had  been  in  with  Mrs.  Doolan  nursing  the  sick 
children  when  Bathurst  arrived,  but  they  presently  came 
out.  Isobel  shook  hands  with  him  without  speaking. 

"  We  are  all  heavily  indebted  to  you,  Mr.  Bathurst," 
Mrs.  Doolan  said.  "If  we  escape  from  this,  it  will  be 
to  you  that  we  humanly  owe  our  lives." 

She  spoke  in  a  voice  that  all  in  the  room  could  hear. 

"  Your  are  right,  Mrs.  Doolan,"  the  Doctor  said; 
"  and  I  think  that  there  are  some  who  must  regret  now 
the  manner  in  which  they  have  behaved  to  Bathurst  since 
this  siege  began." 

"  I  do  for  one,"  Captain  Doolan  said,  coming  forward. 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER.  287 

"  I  have  regretted  it  for  some  time,  though  I  have  not  had 
the  manliness  to  say  so.  I  am  heartily  sorry.  I  have 
done  you  a  great  and  cruel  injustice.  I  ought  to  have 
known  that  the  Doctor,  who  knew  you  vastly  better  than 
I  did,  was  not  likely  to  be  mistaken.  Putting  that  aside, 
I  ought  to  have  seen,  and  I  did  see,  though  I  would  not 
acknowledge  it  even  to  myself,  that  no  man  has  borne 
himself  more  calmly  and  steadfastly  through  this  siege 
than  you  have,  and  that  by  twice  venturing  out  among 
the  enemy  you  gave  proof  that  you  possessed  as  much 
courage  as  any  of  us.  I  do  hope  that  you  will  give  me 
your  hand." 

All  the  others  who  had  held  aloof  from  Bathurst  came 
forward  and  expressed  their  deep  regret  for  what  had 
occurred. 

Bathurst  heard  them  in  silence. 

"  I  do  not  feel  that  there  is  anything  to  forgive,"  he 
said  quietly.  "I  am  glad  to  hear  what  you  say,  and  I 
know  you  mean  it,  and  I  accept  the  hands  you  offer,  but 
what  you  felt  towards  me  has  affected  me  but  little,  for 
your  contempt  for  me  was  as  nothing  to  my  contempt 
of  myself.  Nothing  can  alter  the  fact  that  here,  where 
every  man's  hand  was  wanted  to  defend  the  ladies  and 
children,  my  hand  was  paralyzed;  that  whatever  I  may 
be  at  other  times,  in  the  hour  of  battle  I  fail  hopelessly; 
nothing  that  I  can  do  can  wipe  out,  from  my  own  con- 
isciousness,  that  disgrace." 

"  You  exaggerate  it  altogether,  Bathurst,"  Wilson 
broke  in  hotly.  "It  is  nonsense  your  talking  like  that, 
after  the  way  you  jumped  down  into  the  middle  of  them 
with  that  mace  of  yours.  It  was  splendid." 

"  More  than  that,  Mr.  Bathurst/'  Mrs.  Doolan  said,  "  I 
think  we  women  know  what  true  courage  is;  and  there  is 
not  one  of  us  but  has,  since  this  siege  began,  been  helped 
and  strengthened  by  your  calmness — not  one  but  has 
reason  to  be  grateful  for  your  kindness  to  our  chil- 
dren during  this  terrible  time.  I  won't  hear  even  you 
speak  against  yourself." 

"  Then  I  will  not  do  so,  Mrs.  Doolan,"  he  said,  with  a 
grave  smile.  "  And  now  I  will  go  and  sit  with  the  Major 
for  a  time.  Things  are  quieter  to-night  than  they  have 


288  RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER. 

been  for  some  time  past,  and  I  trust  he  will  get  some 
sleep." 

So  saying,  he  quietly  left  the  room. 

"  I  don't  believe  he  has  slept  two  hours  at  a  time  since 
the  siege  began,"  Mrs.  Doolan  said,  with  tears  in  her 
eyes.  "  We  have  all  suffered — God  only  knows  what  we 
have  suffered! — but  I  am  sure  that  he  has  suffered  more 
than  any  of  us.  As  for  you  men,  you  may  well  say 
you  are  sorry  and  ashamed  of  your  treatment  of  him. 
Coward,  indeed!  Mr.  Bathurst  may  be  nervous,  but  I 
am  sure  he  has  as  much  courage  as  anyone  here.  Come, 
Isobel,  you  were  up  all  last  night,  and  it's  past  two 
o'clock  now.  We  must  try  to  get  a  little  sleep  before 
morning,  and  I  should  advise  everyone  else  off  duty 
to  do  the  same." 

At  daybreak  firing  commenced,  and  was  kept  up  en- 
ergetically all  the  morning.  At  two  o'clock  a  white  flag 
was  hoisted  from  the  terrace,  and  its  appearance  was 
greeted  with  shouts  of  triumph  by  the  assailants.  The 
firing  at  once  ceased,  and  in  a  few  minutes  a  native  officer 
carrying  a  white  flag  advanced  towards  the  walls. 

"  We  wish  to  see  the  Zemindar  For  Sing,"  Bathurst 
said,  "to  treat  with  him  upon  the  subject  of  our  sur- 
render." 

The  officer  withdrew,  and  returned  in  half  an  hour 
saying  that  he  would  conduct  the  officer  in  command  to 
the  presence  of  the  chief  of  the  besieging  force.  Cap- 
tain Doolan,  therefore,  accompanied  by  Bathurst  and  Dr. 
Wade,  went  out.  They  were  conducted  to  the  great  tent 
where  all  the  Zemindars  and  the  principal  officers  of  the 
Sepoys  were  assembled.  Bathurst  acted  as  spokesman. 

"  Por  Sing,"  he  said,  "  and  you  Zemindars  of  Oude, 
Major  Hannay  being  disabled,  Captain  Doolan,  who  is 
now  in  command  of  the  garrison,  has  come  to  represent 
him  and  to  offer  to  surrender  to  you  under  the  condition 
that  the  lives  of  all  British  and  natives  within  the  walls 
be  respected,  and  that  you  pledge  us  your  faith  and  honor 
that  we  shall  be  permitted  to  go  down  the  country  with- 
out molestation.  It  is  to  you,  Por  Sing,  and  you  nobles 
of  Oude,  that  we  surrender,  and  not  to  those  who,  being 
sworn  soldiers,  have  mutinied  against  their  officers,  and 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER.  289 

iiave  in  many  cases  treacherously  murdered  them.  With 
such  men  Major  Hannay  will  have  no  dealings,  and  it  is 
to  you  that  we  surrender.  Major  Hannay  bids  me  say 
that  if  this  offer  is  refused,  we  can  for  a  long  time  pro- 
long our  resistance.  We  are  amply  supplied  with  pro- 
visions and  munitions  of  war,  and  many  as  are  the  num- 
bers of  our  assailants  who  have  fallen  already,  yet  more 
will  die  before  you  obtain  possession  of  the  house.  More 
than  that,  in  no  case  will  we  be  taken  prisoners,  for  one 
and  all  have  firmly  resolved  to  fire  the  magazine  when 
resistance  is  no  longer  possible,  and  to  bury  ourselves  and 
our  assailants  in  the  ruins." 

When  Bathurst  ceased,  a  hubbub  of  voices  arose,  the 
Sepoy  officers  protesting  that  the  surrender  should  be 
made  to  them.  It  was  some  minutes  before  anything  like 
quietness  was  restored,  and  then  one  of  the  officers  said, 
"  Here  is  Rujub;  he  speaks  in  the  name  of  Nana.  What 
does  he  say  to  this?" 

Kujub,  who  was  handsomely  attired,  stepped  forward. 

"  I  have  no  orders  from  his  highness  on  this  subject," 
he  said.  "  He  certainly  said  that  the  prisoners  were  to 
be  sent  to  him,  but  at  present  there  are  no  prisoners, 
nor,  if  the  siege  continues,  and  the  English  carry  out 
their  threat,  will  there  be  any  prisoners.  I  cannot  think 
that  Nana  Sahib  would  wish  to  see  some  hundreds  more 
}f  his  countrymen  slain  or  blown  up,  only  that  he  may 
have  these  few  men  and  women  in  his  power." 

"  We  have  come  here  ,to  take  them  and  kill  them,"  one 
of  the  officers  said  defiantly;  "  and  we  will  do  so." 

For  Sing,  who  had  been  speaking  with  the  Talookdars 
round  him,  rose  from  his  seat. 

"  It  seems  to  me  that  it  is  for  us  to  decide  this  mat- 
ter," he  said.  "  It  is  upon  us  that  the  losses  of  this  siege 
have  fallen.  At  the  order  of  Nana  Sahib  we  collected 
our  retainers,  abandoned  our  homes,  and  have  for  three 
weeks  supported  the  dangers  of  this  siege.  We  follow 
the  Nana,  but  we  are  not  his  vassals,  nor  do  we  even 
know  what  his  wishes  are  in  this  matter,  but  it  seems 
to  us  that  we  have  done  enough  and  more  than  enough. 
Numbers  of  our  retainers  and  kinsmen  have  fallen,  and 
to  prolong  the  siege  would  cause  greater  loss,  and  what 


290  RUJUB,  THE  JUQGLER. 

should  we  gain  by  it  ?  The  possession  of  a  heap  of  stones. 
Therefore,  we  are  all  of  opinion  that  this  offer  of  surren- 
der should  be  accepted.  We  war  for  the  freedom  of  our 
country,  and  have  no  thirst  for  the  blood  of  these 
English  sahibs,  still  less  for  that  of  their  wives  and  chil- 
dren." 

Some  of  the  officers  angrily  protested,  but  For  Sing 
stood  firm,  and  the  other  chiefs  were  equally  determined. 
Seeing  this,  the  officers  consulted  together,  and  the 
highest  in  rank  then  said  to  the  Talookdars,  "  We  protest 
against  these  conditions  being  given,  but  since  you  are 
resolved,  we  stand  aside,  and  are  ready  to  agree  for  our- 
selves and  our  men  to  what  you  may  decide." 

"What  pledges  do  you  require?"  For  Sing  asked 
Bathurst. 

"  We  are  content,  Rajah,  with  your  personal  oath  that 
the  lives  of  all  within  the  house  shall  be  respected,  and 
your  undertaking  that  they  shall  be  allowed  to  go  un- 
harmed down  the  country.  We  have  absolute  faith  in 
the  honor  of  the  nobles  of  Oude,  and  can  desire  no  better 
guarantee." 

"I  will  give  it,"  For  Sing  said,  "and  all  my  friends 
will  join  me  in  it.  To-night  I  will  have  boats  collected 
on  the  river;  I  will  furnish  you  with  an  escort  of  my 
troops,  and  will  myself  accompany  you  and  see  you  safely 
on  board.  I  will  then  not  only  give  you  a  safe  conduct, 
praying  all  to  let  you  pass  unharmed,  but  my  son  with 
ten  men  shall  accompany  you  in  the  boats  to  inform  all 
that  my  honor  is  concerned  in  your  safety,  and  that  I  have 
given  my  personal  pledge  that  no  molestation  shall  be 
offered  to  you.  I  will  take  my  oath,  and  my  friends  will 
do  the  same,  and  I  doubt  not  that  the  commander  of  the 
Sepoy  troops  will  join  me  in  it." 

Bathurst  translated  what  had  been  said  to  Captain 
Doolan. 

"  It  is  impossible  for  him  to  do  more  than  that,"  he 
concluded;  "  I  do  not  think  there  is  the  least  question  as 
to  his  good  faith." 

"  He  is  a  fine  old  heathen,"  Captain  Doolan  said;  "  tell 
Him  that  we  accept  his  terms." 

Bathurst  at  once  signified  this,  and  the  Rajah  then 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER  291 

took  a  solemn  oath  to  fulfill  the  conditions  of  the  agree- 
ment, the  other  Talookdars  doing  the  same,  and  the  com- 
mander of  the  Sepoys  also  doing  so  without  hesitation. 
For  Sing  then  promised  that  some  carts  should  be  col- 
lected before  morning,  to  carry  the  ladies,  the  sick  and 
wounded,  down  to  the  river,  which  was  eight  miles 
distant. 

"  You  can  sleep  in  quiet  to-night,"  he  added;  "  I  will 
place  a  guard  of  my  own  men  round  the  house,  and  see 
that  none  trouble  you  in  any  way/' 

A  few  other  points  were  settled,  and  then  the  party 
returned  to  the  house,  to  which  they  were  followed  a  few 
minutes  later  by  the  son  of  For  Sing  and  three  lads,  sons 
of  other  Zemindars.  Bathurst  went  down  to  meet  them 
when  their  approach  was  noticed  by  the  lookout  on  the 
roof. 

"  We  have  come  to  place  ourselves  in  your  hands  as 
hostages,  sahib,"  For  Sing's  son  said.  "  My  father 
thought  it  likely  that  the  Sepoys  or  others  might  make 
trouble,  and  he  said  that  if  we  were  in  your  hands  as 
hostages,  all  our  people  would  see  that  the  agreement 
must  be  kept,  and  would  oppose  themselves  more  vigor- 
ously to  the  Sepoys." 

"  It  was  thoughtful  and  kind  of  your  father,"  Bathurst 
said.  "  As  far  as  accommodation  is  concerned,  we  can 
do  little  to  make  you  comfortable,  but  in  other  respects 
we  are  not  badly  provided." 

Some  of  the  native  servants  were  at  once  told  off  to 
erect  an  awning  over  a  portion  of  the  terrace.  Tables  and 
couches  were  placed  here,  and  Bathurst  undertook  the 
work  of  entertaining  the  visitors. 

He  was  glad  of  the  precaution  that  had  been  taken  in 
sending  them,  for  with  the  glass  he  could  make  out  that 
there  was  much  disturbance  in  the  Sepoy  lines,  men 
gathering  in  large  groups,  with  much  shouting  and  noise. 
Muskets  were  discharged  in  the  direction  of  the  house, 
and  it  was  evident  that  the  mutineers  were  very  discon- 
tented with  the  decision  that  had  been  arrived  at. 

In  a  short  time,  however,  a  body,  several  hundred 
strong,  of  the  Oude  fighting  men  moved  down  and  sur- 
rounded the  house;  and  when  a  number  of  the  Sepoys 


292  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

approached  with  excited  and  menacing  gestures,  one  of 
the  Zemindars  went  out  to  meet  them,  and  Bathurst, 
watching  the  conference,  could  see  by  his  pointing  to  the 
roof  of  the  house  that  he  was  informing  them  that 
hostages  had  been  given  to  the  Europeans  for  the  due 
observance  of  the  treaty,  and  doubted  not  he  was  telling 
them  that  their  lives  would  be  endangered  by  any  move- 
ment. Then  he  pointed  to  the  batteries,  as  if  threatening 
that  if  any  attack  was  made  the  guns  would  be  turned 
upon  them.  At  any  rate,  after  a  time  they  moved  away,, 
and  gradually  the  Sepoys  could  be  seen  returning  to  their 
lines. 

There  were  but  few  preparations  to  be  made  by  the 
garrison  for  their  journey.  It  had  been  settled  that  they 
might  take  their  personal  effects  with  them,  but  it  was 
at  once  agreed  to  take  as  little  as  possible,  as  there  would 
probably  be  but  little  room  in  the  boats,  and  the  fewer 
things  they  carried  the  less  there  would  be  to  tempt  the 
cupidity  of  the  natives. 

"Well,  Bathurst,  what  do  you  think  of  the  outlook?" 
the  Doctor  asked,  as  late  in  the  evening  they  sat  together 
on  some  sandbags  in  a  corner  of  the  terrace. 

"  I  think  that  if  we  get  past  Cawnpore  in  safety  there 
is  not  much  to  fear.  There  is  no  other  large  place  on 
the  river,  and  the  lower  we  get  down  the  less  likely  the 
natives  are  to  disturb  us,  knowing,  as  they  are  almost 
sure  to  do,  that  a  force  is  gathering  at  Allahabad." 

"After  what  you  heard  of  the  massacre  of  the 
prisoners  at  Cawnpore,  whom  the  Nana  and  his  officers 
had  all  sworn  to  allow  to  depart  in  safety,  there  is  little 
hope  that  this  scoundrel  will  respect  the  arrangements 
made  here/' 

"We  must  pass  the  place  at  night,  and  trust  to  drift- 
ing down  unobserved — the  river  is  wide  there — and  keep- 
ing near  the  opposite  shore,  we  may  get  past  in  the  dark- 
ness without  being  perceived;  and  even  if  they  do  make 
us  out,  the  chances  are  they  will  not  hit  us.  There  are 
so  few  of  us  that  there  is  no  reason  why  they  should  trou- 
ble greatly  about  us." 

"I  am  sorry  to  say,  Bathurst,  that  I  don't  like  the 
appearance  of  the  Major's  wound.  Everything  has  been 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  393 

against  him;  the  heat,  the  close  air,  and  his  anxiety  of 
mind  have  all  told  on  him.  He  seems  very  low,  and  I 
have  great  doubts  whether  he  will  ever  see  Allahabad." 

"  I  hope  you  are  wrong,  Doctor,  but  I  thought  myself 
there  was  a  change  for  the  worse  when  I  saw  him  an 
hour  ago;  there  was  a  drawn  look  about  his  face  I  did  not 
like.  He  is  a  splendid  fellow;  nothing  could  have  been. 
kinder  than  he  has  been  to  me.  I  wish  I  could  change 
places  with  him." 

The  Doctor  grunted.  "  Well,  as  none  of  us  may  see 
Allahabad,  Bathurst,  you  need  not  trouble  yourself  on 
that  score.  I  wonder  what  has  become  of  your  friend 
the  conjurer.  I  thought  he  might  have  been  in  to  see 
you  this  afternoon." 

"  I  did  not  expect  him,"  Bathurst  said;  "  I  expect  he 
went  as  far  as  he  dared  in  what  he  said  at  the  Durbar 
to-day.  Probably  he  is  doing  all  he  can  to  keep  matters 
quiet.  Of  course  he  may  have  gone  down  to  Cawnpore 
to  see  Nana  Sahib,  but  I  should  think  it  more  probable 
that  he  would  remain  here  until  he  knows  we  are  safe 
on  board  the  boats." 

"  Ah,  here  is  Wilson,"  said  the  Doctor;  "  he  is  a  fine 
young  fellow,  and  I  am  very  glad  he  has  gone  through 
it  safely." 

"  So  am  I,"  Bathurst  said  warmly;  "  here  we  are,  Wil- 
son." 

"  I  thought  I  would  find  you  both  smoking  here,"  Wil- 
son said,  as  he  seated  himself;  "  it  is  awfully  hot  below, 
and  the  ladies  are  all  at  work  picking  out  the  things  they 
are  going  to  take  with  them  and  packing  them,  and  as  I 
could  not  be  of  any  use  at  that,  I  thought  I  would  come 
up  for  a  little  fresh  air,  if  one  can  call  it  fresh;  but,  in 
fact,  I  would  rather  sit  over  an  open  drain,  for  the 
stench  is  horrible.  How  quiet  everything  seems  to- 
night! After  crouching  here  for  the  last  three  weeks 
listening  to  the  boom  of  their  cannon  and  the  rush  of 
their  balls  overhead,  or  the  crash  as  they  hit  something, 
it  seems  quite  unnatural;  one  can't  help  thinking  that 
something  is  going  to  happen.  I  don't  believe  I  shall  be 
able  to  sleep  a  wink  to-night;  while  generally,  in  spite  of 
the  row,  it  has  been  as  much  as  I  could  do  to  keep  my 


294  RUJVB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

eyes  open.  I  suppose  I  shall  get  accustomed  to  it  in 
time.  At  present  it  seems  too  unnatural  to  enjoy  it." 

"  You  had  better  get  a  good  night's  sleep,  if  you  can, 
"Wilson,"  the  Doctor  said.  "  There  won't  be  much  sleep 
for  us  in  the  boats  till  we  see  the  walls  of  Allahabad." 

"  I  suppose  not,  Doctor.  I  expect  we  shall  be  horribly 
cramped  up.  I  long  to  be  there.  I  hope  to  get  attached 
to  one  of  the  regiments  coming  up,  so  as  to  help  in  giv- 
ing the  thrashing  to  these  scoundrels  that  they  deserve. 
I  would  give  a  year's  pay  to  get  that  villain,  Nana  Sahib, 
within  reach  of  my  sword.  It  is  awful  to  think  of  the 
news  you  brought  in,  Bathurst,  and  that  there  are  hun- 
dreds of  women  and  children  in  his  power  now.  What  a 
day  it  will  be  when  we  march  into  Cawnpore! " 

"  Don't  count  your  chickens  too  soon,  Wilson,"  the 
Doctor  said.  "  The  time  I  am  looking  forward  to  is 
when  we  shall  have  safely  passed  Cawnpore  on  our  way 
down;  that  is  quite  enough  for  me  to  hope  for  at 
present." 

"  Yes,  I  was  thinking  of  that  myself,"  Wilson  replied. 
"  If  the  Nana  could  not  be  bound  by  the  oath  he  had 
taken  himself,  he  is  not  likely  to  respect  the  agreement 
made  here." 

"  We  must  pass  the  place  at  night,"  Bathurst  said, 
"  and  trust  to  not  being  seen.  Even  if  they  do  make  us 
out,  we  shan't  be  under  fire  long  unless  they  follow  us 
down  the  bank;  but  if  the  night  is  dark,  they  may  not 
make  us  out  at  all.  Fortunately  there  is  no  moon,  and 
boats  are  not  very  large  marks  even  by  daylight,  and  at 
night  it  would  only  be  a  chance  shot  that  would  hit  us." 

"  Yes,  we  should  be  as  difficult  to  hit  as  a  tiger,**  the 
Doctor  put  in. 

Wilson  laughed. 

"  I  have  gained  a  lot  of  experience  since  then,  Doctor. 
What  ages  that  seems  back!  Years  almost." 

"  It  does  indeed,"  the  Doctor  agreed;  "  we  count  time 
by  incidents  and  not  by  days.  Well,  I  think  I  shall  turn 
in.  Are  you  coming,  Bathurst?" 

"  No,  I  could  not  sleep,"  Bathurst  said;  "  I  shall  watch 
till  morning.  I  feel  sure  it  is  all  safe,  but  the  mutineers 
might  attempt  something." 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  995 

The  night,  however,  passed  off  quietly,  and  soon  after 
daybreak  eight  bullock  carts  were  seen  approaching,  with 
a  strong  body  of  Oude  men.  Half  an  hour  later  the 
luggage  was  packed,  and  the  sick  and  wounded  laid  on 
straw  in  the  wagons.  Several  of  the  ladies  took  their 
places  with  them,  but  Mrs.  Doolan,  Isobel,  and  Mary 
Hunter  said  they  would  walk  for  a  while.  It  had  been 
arranged  that  the  men  might  carry  out  their  arms  with 
them,  and  each  of  the  ten  able  to  walk  took  their  rifles, 
while  all,  even  the  women,  had  pistols  about  them.  Just 
as  they  were  ready,  Por  Sing  and  several  of  the  Zemindars 
rode  up  on  horseback. 

"  We  shall  see  you  to  the  boats,"  he  said.  "  Have  you 
taken  provisions  for  your  voyage?  It  would  be  better 
not  to  stop  to  buy  anything  on  the  way/' 

This  precaution  had  been  taken,  and  as  soon  as  all  was 
ready  they  set  out,  guarded  by  four  hundred  Oude  match- 
lock men.  The  Sepoys  had  gathered  near  the  house,  and 
as  soon  as  they  left  it  there  was  a  rush  made  to  secure 
'the  plunder. 

"  I  should  have  liked  to  have  emptied  the  contents  of 
some  of  my  bottles  into  the  wine,"  the  Doctor  growled; 
"  it  would  not  have  been  strictly  professional,  perhaps, 
but  it  would  have  been  a  good  action." 

"  I  am  sure  you  would  not  have  given  them  poison, 
Doctor,"  Wilson  laughed;  "  but  a  reasonable  dose  of 
ipecacuanha  might  hardly' have  gone  against  your  con- 
science." 

"  My  conscience  has  nothing  to  do  with  it,"  the  Doctor 
said.  "  These  fellows  came  from  Cawnpore,  and  I  have 
no  doubt  took  part  in  the  massacre  there.  My  conscience 
wouldn't  have  troubled  me  if  I  could  have  poisoned  the 
whole  of  the  scoundrels,  or  put  a  slow  match  in  the  maga- 
zine and  blown  them  all  into  the  air,  but  under  the 
present  conditions  it  would  hardly  have  been  politic,  as 
one  couldn't  be  sure  of  annihilating  the  whole  of  them. 
Well,  Miss  Hannay,  what  are  you  thinking  of?  " 

"  I  am  thinking  that  my  uncle  looks  worse  this  morn- 
ing. Doctor;  does  it  not  strike  you  so  too  ?  " 

"  We  must  hope  that  the  fresh  air  will  do  him  good. 
One  conld  not  expect  anyone  to  get  better  in  that  place; 


296  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

it  was  enough  to  kill  a  healthy  man,  to  say  nothing  of  a 
sick  one." 

Isobel  was  walking  by  the  side  of  the  cart  in  whic'/i 
her  uncle  was  lying,  and  it  was  not  long  before  she  took 
her  place  beside  him. 

The  Doctor  shook  his  head. 

"  Can  you  do  nothing,  Doctor?  "  Bathurst  said,  in  A 
low  tone. 

"  Nothing;  he  is  weaker  this  morning,  still  the  change 
of  air  may  help  him,  and  he  may  have  strength  to  fight 
through;  the  wound  itself  is  a  serious  one,  but  he  would 
under  other  circumstances  have  got  over  it.  As  it  is,  I 
think  his  chance  a  very  poor  one,  though  I  would  not  say 
as  much  to  her." 

After  three  hours'  travel  they  reached  the  river.  Hera 
two  large  native  boats  were  lying  by  the  bank.  Thu 
baggage  and  sick  were  soon  placed  on  board,  and  the 
Europeans  with  the  native  servants  were  then  divided 
between  them,  and  the  Eajah's  son  and  six  of  the  re- 
tainers took  their  places  in  one  of  the  boats.  The  Doctor 
and  Captain  Doolan  had  settled  how  the  party  should  be 
divided.  The  Major  and  the  other  sick  men  were  all 
placed  in  one  boat,  and  in  this  were  the  Doctor,  Bath- 
urst, and  four  civilians,  with  Isobel  Hannay,  Mrs. 
Hunter,  and  her  daughter.  Captain  Doolan,  his  wife, 
Mrs.  Rintoul,  and  the  other  three  ladies,  with  the  six 
children  who  had  alone  survived,  and  the  rest  of  the 
party,  were  in  the  other  boat. 

Por  Sing  and  his  companions  were  thanked  heartily 
for  the  protection  they  had  given,  and  Bathurst  handed 
them  a  document  which  had  been  signed  by  all  the  party, 
testifying  to  the  service  they  had  rendered. 

"  If  we  don't  get  down  to  Allahabad,"  Bathurst  said,  as 
he  handed  it  to  him,  "this  will  insure  you  good  treat- 
ment when  the  British  troops  come  up.  If  we  get  there, 
we  will  represent  your  conduct  in  such  a  light  that  I 
think  I  can  promise  you  that  the  part  you  took  in  the 
siege  will  be  forgiven." 

Then  the  boats  pushed  off  and  started  on  their  way 
down  the  stream. 

The  distance  by  water  to  Cawnpore  was  over  forty 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  397 

miles.  It  was  already  eleven  o'clock,  and  slow  progress 
only  could  be  made  with  the  heavy  boats,  but  it  was 
thought  that  they  would  be  able  to  pass  the  town  before 
daylight  began  to  break  next  morning,  and  they  therefore 
pushed  on  as  rapidly  as  they  could,  the  boatmen  being 
encouraged  to  use  their  utmost  efforts  by  the  promise 
of  a  large  reward  upon  their  arrival  at  Allahabad. 

There  was  but  little  talk  in  the  boats.  Now  that  the 
strain  was  over,  all  felt  its  effects  severely.  The  Doctor 
attended  to  his  patients;  Isobel  sat  by  the  side  of  her 
uncle,  giving  him  some  broth  that  they  had  brought  with 
them,  from  time  to  time,  or  moistening  his  lips  with  weak 
brandy  and  water.  He  spoke  only  occasionally. 

"  I  don't  much  think  I  shall  get  down  to  Allahabad, 
Isobel/'  he  said.  "  If  I  don't,  go  down  to  Calcutta,  and 
go  straight  to  Jamieson  &  Son;  they  are  my  agents,  and 
they  will  supply  you  with  money  to  take  you  home;  they 
have  a  copy  of  my  will;  my  agents  in  London  have 
another  copy.  I  had  two  made  in  case  of  accident." 

"  Oh,  uncle,  you  will  get  better  now  you  are  out  of 
that  terrible  place." 

"  I  am  afraid  it  is  too  late,  my  dear,  though  I  should 
like  to  live  for  your  sake.  But  I  think  I  see  happiness 
before  you,  if  you  choose  to  take  it;  he  is  a  noble  fellow, 
Isobel,  in  spite  of  that  unfortunate  weakness." 

Isobel  made  no  answer,  but  a  slight  pressure  of  the 
hand  she  was  holding  showed  that  she  understood  what 
he  meant.  It  was  no  use  to  tell  her  uncle  that  she  felt 
that  what  might  have  been  was  over  now.  Bathurst  had 
chatted  with  her  several  times  the  evening  before  and 
during  the  march  that  morning,  but  she  felt  the  differ- 
ence between  his  tone  and  that  in  which  he  had  addressed 
her  in  the  old  times  before  the  troubles  began.  It  was 
a  subtle  difference  that  she  could  hardly  have  explained 
even  to  herself,  but  she  knew  that  it  was  as  a  friend,  and 
as  a  friend  only,  that  he  would  treat  her  in  the  future, 
and  that  the  past  was  a  closed  book,  which  he  was  deter- 
mined not  to  reopen. 

Bathurst  talked  to  Mrs.  Hunter  and  her  daughter,  both 
of  whom  were  mere  shadows,  worn  out  with  grief, 
anxiety,  and  watching.  At  times  he  went  forward  to  talk 


298  RDJUB,   TUE  JUGGLER. 

to  the  young  noble,  who  had  taken  his  seat  there.  Eotk 
boats  had  been  arched  in  with  a  canopy  of  boughs  to 
serve  alike  as  a  protection  from  the  sun  and  to  screen 
those  within  from  the  sight  of  natives  in  boats  or  on  the 
banks. 

"  You  don't  look  yourself,  Bathurst,"  the  Doctor  said 
to  him  late  in  the  afternoon.  "  Everything  seems  going  on 
well.  No  boats  have  passed  us,  and  the  boatmen  all  say 
that  we  shall  pass  Cawnpore  about  one  o'clock,  at  the  rate 
at  which  we  are  going." 

"  I  feel  nervous,  Doctor;  more  anxious  than  I  have 
been  ever  since  this  began.  There  is  an  apprehension 
of  danger  weighing  over  me  that  I  can't  account  for.  As 
you  say,  everything  seems  going  on  well,  and  yet  I  feel 
that  it  is  not  so.  I  am  afraid  I  am  getting  superstitious, 
but  I  feel  as  if  Rujub  knows  of  some  danger  impending, 
and  that  he  is  somehow  conveying  that  impression  to  me. 
I  know  that  there  is  nothing  to  be  done,  and  that  we 
are  doing  the  only  thing  that  we  can  do,  unless  we  were 
to  land  and  try  and  make  our  way  down  on  foot,  which 
would  be  sheer  madness.  That  the  man  can  in  some  way 
impress  my  mind  at  a  distance  is  evident  from  that 
summons  he  gave  me  to  meet  him  at  the  ruins  of  my 
bungalow,  but  I  do  not  feel  the  same  clear  distinct  per- 
ception of  his  wishes  now  as  I  did  then.  Perhaps  he 
himself  is  not  aware  of  the  particulars  of  the  danger 
that  threatens,  or,  knowing  them,  he  can  see  no  way  of 
escape  out  of  them.  It  may  be  that  at  night,  when  every- 
thing is  quiet,  one's  mind  is  more  open  to  such  impres- 
sions than  it  is  when  we  are  surrounded  by  other  people 
and  have  other  things  to  think  of,  but  I  feel  an  actual 
consciousness  of  danger." 

•"I  don't  think  there  can  be  any  danger  until  we  get 
down  near  Cawnpore.  They  may  possibly  be  on  the  look- 
out for  us  there,  and  may  even  have  boats  out  on  the 
stream.  It  is  possible  that  the  Sepoys  may  have  sent 
down  word  yesterday  afternoon  to  Nana  Sahib  that  we 
had  surrendered,  and  should  be  starting  by  boat  this 
morning,  but  I  don't  think  there  can  be  any  danger  till 
we  get  there.  Should  we  meet  native  boats  and  be 
stopped,  For  Sing's  son  will  be  able  to  induce  them  to 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  299 

let  ue-  pass.  Certainly  none  of  the  villagers  about  here 
would  be  likely  to  disobey  him.  Once  beyond  Cawn- 
pore, I  believe  that  he  would  have  sufficient  influence, 
speaking,  as  he  does,  in  the  name,  not  only  of  his  father, 
but  of  other  powerful  landowners,  to  induce  any  of  these 
Oude  people  to  let  us  pass.  No,  I  regard  Cawnpore  as 
our  one  danger,  and  I  believe  it  to  be  a  very  real  one.  I 
have  been  thinking,  indeed,  that  it  would  be  a  good 
thing  when  we  get  within  a  couple  of  miles  of  the  place 
for  all  who  are  able  to  walk,  to  land  on  the  opposite  bank, 
and  make  their  way  along  past  Cawnpore,  and  take  to  the 
boats  again  a  mile  below  the  town." 

"  That  would  be  an  excellent  plan,  Doctor;  but  if  the 
boats  were  stopped  and  they  found  the  sick,  they  would 
kill  them  to  a  certainty.  I  don't  think  we  could  leave 
them.  I  am  quite  sure  Miss  Hannay  would  not  leave 
her  uncle." 

"  I  think  we  might  get  over  even  that,  Bathurst.  There 
are  only  the  Major  and  the  other  two  men,  and  Mrs. 
Forsyth  and  three  children,  too  ill  to  walk.  There  are 
eight  of  the  native  servants,  ourselves,  and  the  young 
.Rajah's  retainers.  We  ought  to  have  no  difficulty  in 
carrying  the  wounded.  As  to  the  luggage,  that  must  be 
sacrificed,  so  that  the  boatmen  can  go  down  with  empty 
benches.  It  must  be  pitched  overboard.  The  loss  would 
be  of  no  real  consequence;  everyone  could  manage  with 
what  they  have  on  until 'we  get  to  Allahabad.  There 
would  be  no  difficulty  in  getting  what  we  require  there." 

"  I  think  the  plan  is  an  excellent  one,  Doctor.  I  will 
ask  the  young  chief  if  his  men  will  help  us  to  carry  the 
sick.  If  he  says  yes,  we  will  go  alongside  the  other  boat 
and  explain  our  plan  to  Doolan." 

The  young  Kajan  at  once  assented,  and  the  boat  being 
rowed  up  to  the  other,  the  plan  was  explained  and  ap- 
proved of.  No  objection  was  raised  by  anyone,  even  to 
the  proposal  for  getting  rid  of  all  the  luggage;  and  as 
soon  as  the  matter  was  arranged,  a  general  disposition 
towards  cheerfulness  was  manifested.  Everyone  had  felt 
that  the  danger  of  passing  Cawnpore  would  be  immense, 
and  this  plan  for  avoiding  it  seemed  to  lift  a  load  from 
their  minds.  * 


300  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

It  was  settled  they  should  land  at  some  spot  where 
the  river  was  bordered  by  bushes  and  young  trees;  that 
stout  poles  should  be  cut,  and  blankets  fastened  between 
them,  so  as  to  form  stretchers  on  which  the  sick  could 
be  carried. 

As  far  as  possible  the  boats  were  kept  on  the  left  side 
of  the  river,  but  at  times  shallows  rendered  it  necessary 
to  keep  over  by  the  right  bank.  Whenever  they  were 
near  the  shore,  silence  was  observed,  lest  the  foreign 
tongue  should  be  noticed  by  anyone  near  the  bank. 

Night  fell,  and  they  still  continued  their  course.  An 
hour  after  sunset  they  were  rowing  near  the  right  bank 
— the  Major  had  fallen  into  a  sort  of  doze,  and  Isobel 
was  sitting  next  to  Bathurst,  and  they  were  talking  in 
low  tones  together — when  suddenly  there  was  a  hail  from 
the  shore,  not  fifty  yards  away. 

"What  boats  are  those?" 

"  Fishing  boats  going  down  the  river,"  one  of  the  boat- 
men answered. 

"  Row  alongside,  we  must  examine  you." 

There  was  a  moment's  pause,  and  then  the  Doctor 
said  in  the  native  language,  "  Row  on,  men,"  and  the 
oars  of  both  boats  again  dipped  into  the  water. 

"  We  are  pressed  for  time,"  the  young  Zemindar 
shouted,  and  then,  dropping  his  voice,  urged  the  men  to 
row  at  the  top  of  their  speed. 

"  Stop,  or  we  fire,"  came  from  the  shore. 

No  answer  was  returned  from  the  boats;  they  were  now 
nearly  opposite  the  speaker.  Then  came  the  word — 
"  Fire."  Six  cannon  loaded  with  grape  were  discharged, 
and  a  crackle  of  musketry  at  the  same  moment  broke  out. 
The  shot  tore  through  the  boats,  killing  and  disabling 
many,  and  bringing  down  the  arbor  of  boughs  upon  them. 

A  terrible  cry  arose,  and  all  was  confusion.  Most  of 
the  rowers  were  killed,  and  the  boats  drifted  helplessly 
amid  the  storm  of  rifle  bullets. 

As  the  cannon  flashed  out  and  the  grape  swept  the 
boats  Bathurst,  with  a  sharp  cry,  sprang  to  his  feet,  and 
leaped  overboard,  as  did  several  others  from  both  boats. 
Diving,  he  kept  under  water  for  some  distance,  and  then 
swam  desperately  till  he  reached  shallow  water  on  the 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  301 

other  side  of  the  river,  and  then  fell  head  foremost  on 
the  sand.  Eight  or  ten  others  also  gained  the  shore  in  a 
body,  and  were  running  towards  the  bank,  when  the  guns 
were  again  fired,  and  all  but  three  were  swept  away  by 
the  iron  hail.  A  few  straggling  musket  shots  were  fired, 
then  orders  were  shouted,  and  the  splashing  of  an  oar 
was  heard,  as  one  of  the  native  boatmen  rowed  one  of 
the  two  boats  toward  the  shore.  Bathurst  rose  to  his 
feet  and  ran,  stumbling  like  a  drunken  man,  towards 
the  bushes,  and  just  as  he  reached  them,  fell  heavily 
forward,  and  lay  there  insensible.  Three  men  came  out 
from  the  jungle  and  dragged  him  in.  As  they  did  so 
loud  screams  arose  from  the  other  bank,  then  half  a 
dozen  muskets  were  fired,  and  all  was  quiet. 

It  was  not  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour  that  Bathurst  was 
conscious  of  what  was  going  on  around  him.  Someone 
was  rubbing  his  chest  and  hands. 

"Who  is  it?"  he  asked. 

"  Oh,  it  is  you,  Bathurst! "  he  heard  Wilson's  voice 
exclaim.  "I  thought  it  was  you,  but  it  is  so  dark  now 
we  are  off  that  white  sand  that  I  could  not  see.  Where 
are  you  hit  ?  " 

"I  don't  know,"  Bathurst  said.  "I  felt  a  sort  of 
shock  as  I  got  out  of  the  water,  but  I  don't  know  that  I 
am  hurt  at  all." 

"  Oh,  you  must  be  hit  somewhere.  Try  and  move  your 
arms  and  legs." 

Bathurst  moved. 

"  No,  I  don't  think  I  am  hit;  if  I  am,  it  is  on  the  head. 
I  feel  something  warm  round  the  back  of  my  neck." 

"By  Jove,  yes!"  Wilson  said;  "here  is  where  it  is; 
there  is  a  cut  all  along  the  top  of  your  head;  the  bullet 
seems  to  have  hit  you  at  the  back,  and  gone  right  along 
over  the  top.  It  can't  have  gone  in,  or  else  you  would 
not  be  able  to  talk." 

"  Help  me  up,"  Bathurst  said,  and  he  was  soon  on  his 
feet.  He  felt  giddy  and  confused,  "  Who  have  you  with 
you?  "  he  asked. 

"  Two  natives.  I  think  one  is  the  young  chief,  and  the 
other  is  one  of  his  followers." 

Bathurst  spoke  to  them  in  their  native  language,  and 


302  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

found  that  Wilson  was  not  mistaken.  As  soon  as  he 
found  that  he  was  understood,  the  young  chief  poured 
out  a  volley  of  curses  upon  those  who  had  attacked  them. 

Bathurst  stopped  him.  "  We  shall  have  time  for  that 
afterwards,  Murad,"  he  said;  "  the  first  thing  is  to  see 
what  had  best  be  done.  What  has  happened  since  I 
landed,  Wilson  ?" 

"  Our  boat  was  pretty  nearly  cut  in  two,"  Wilson  said, 
"  and  was  sinking  when  I  jumped  over;  the  other  boat 
has  been  rowed  ashore." 

"What  did  you  hear,  Wilson?" 

"  I  heard  the  women  scream,"  Wilson  said  reluctantly, 
"  and  five  or  six  shots  were  fired.  There  has  been  no 
sound  since  then." 

Bathurst  stood  silent  for  a  minute. 

"I  do  not  think  they  will  have  killed  the  women," 
he  said;  "  they  did  not  do  so  at  Cawnpore.  They  will 
take  them  there.  No  doubt  they  killed  the  men.  Let 
me  think  for  a  moment.  Now,"  he  said  after  a  long 
pause,  "we  must  be  doing.  Murad,  your  father  and 
friends  have  given  their  word  for  the  safety  of  those  you 
took  prisoners;  that  they  have  been  massacred  is  no  fault 
of  your  father  or  of  you.  This  gentleman  and  myself 
are  the  only  ones  saved,  as  far  as  we  know.  Are  you 
sure  that  none  others  came  ashore  ?  " 

"The  others  were  all  killed,  we  alone  remaining," 
Murad  said.  "I  will  go  back  to  my  father,  and  he  will 
go  to  Cawnpore  and  demand  vengeance." 

"  You  can  do  that  afterwards,  Murad;  the  first  thing  is 
to  fulfill  your  promise,  and  I  charge  you  to  take  this 
sahib  in  safety  down  to  Allahabad.  You  must  push  on 
at  once,  for  they  may  be  sending  out  from  Cawnpore  at 
daylight  to  search  the  bushes  here  to  see  if  any  have 
escaped.  You  must  go  on  with  him  to-night  as  far  as 
you  can,  and  in  the  morning  enter  some  village,  buy 
native  clothes,  and  disguise  him,  and  then  journey  on 
to  Allahabad." 

"  I  will  do  that,"  the  young  Rajah  said;  "  but  what 
about  yourself  ?  " 

"  I  shall  go  into  Cawnpore  and  try  to  rescue  any  they 
may  have  taken.  I  have  a  native  cloth  round  me  under 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER.  393 

my  other  clothes,  as  I  thought  it  might  be  necessary  for 
me  to  land  before  we  got  to  Cawnpore  to  see  if  danger 
threatened  us.  So  I  have  everything  I  want  for  a  dis- 
guise about  me." 

"  What  are  you  saying,  Bathurst  ?  "  Wilson  asked. 

"  I  am  arranging  for  Murad  and  his  follower  to  take 
you  down  to  Allahabad,  Wilson.  I  shall  stop  at  Cawn- 
pore." 

"*Stop  at  Cawnpore!    Are  you  mad,  Bathurst?" 

"  No,  I  am  not  mad.  I  shall  stop  to  see  if  any  of  the 
ladies  have  been  taken  prisoners,  and  if  so,  try  to  rescue 
them.  Kujub,  the  juggler,  is  there,  and  I  am  confident 
he  will  help  me." 

"  But  if  you  can  stay,  I  can,  Bathurst.  If  Miss  Hannay 
has  been  made  prisoner,  I  would  willingly  be  killed  to 
reecue  her." 

"  I  know  you  would,  Wilson,  but  you  would  be  killed 
without  being  able  to  rescue  her;  and  as  I  should  share 
your  fate,  you  would  render  her  rescue  impossible.  I  can 
speak  the  native  language  perfectly,  and  know  native 
ways.  I  can  move  about  among  them  without  fear  of 
exciting  their  suspicion.  If  you  were  with  me  this  would 
be  impossible;  the  first  time  you  were  addressed  by  a 
native  you  would  be  detected;  your  presence  would  add 
to  my  difficulties  a  hundredfold.  It  is  not  now  a  ques- 
tion of  fighting.  Were  it  only  that,  I  should  be  delighted 
to  have  you  with  me.  As  it  is,  the  thing  is  impossible. 
If  anything  is  done,  I  must  do  it  alone.  If  I  ever  reach 
Miss  Hannay,  she  shall  know  that  you  were  ready  to  run 
all  risks  to  save  her.  No,  no,  you  must  go  on  to  Alla- 
habad, and  if  you  cannot  save  her  now,  you  will  be  with 
the  force  that  will  save  her,  if  I  should  fail  to  do  so,  and 
which  will  avenge  us  both  if  it  should  arrive  too  late 
to  rescue  her.  Now  I  must  get  you  to  bandage  my  head, 
for  I  feel  faint  with  loss  of  blood.  I  will  take  off  my 
shirt  and  tear  it  in  strips.  I  have  got  a  native  disguise 
next  to  the  skin.  We  may  as  well  leave  my  clothes  be- 
hind me  here." 

As  soon  as  Wilson,  with  the  assistance  of  Murad,  had 
bandaged  the  wound,  the  party  struck  off  from  the  river, 
and  after  four  hours'  walking  came  down  upon  it  again 


304  RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER. 

two  miles  below  Cawnpore.  Here  Bathurst  said  he 
would  stop,  stain  his  skin,  and  complete  his  disguise. 

"  I  hate  leaving  you,"  Wilson  said,  in  a  broken  voice. 
"  There  are  only  you  and  I  left  of  all  our  party  at  Deen- 
nugghur.  It  is  awful  to  think  they  have  all  gone — the 
good  old  chief,  the  Doctor,  and  Richards,  and  the  ladies. 
There  are  only  we  two  left.  It  does  seem  such  a  dirty, 
cowardly  thing  for  me  to  be  making  off  and  leaving  you 
here  alone." 

"It  is  not  cowardly,  Wilson,  for  I  know  you  would 
willingly  stay  if  you  could  be  of  the  slightest  use;  but,  as, 
on  the  contrary,  you  would  only  add  to  the  danger,  it 
must  be  as  I  have  arranged.  Good-by,  lad;  don't  stay; 
it  has  to  be  done.  God  bless  you!  Good-by,  Murad.  Tell 
your  father  when  you  see  Mm  that  I  know  no  shadow  of 
broken  faith  rests  on  him." 

So  saying,  he  turned  and  went  into  a  clump  of  bushes, 
while  Wilson,  too  overpowered  to  speak,  started  on  his 
way  down  country  with  the  two  natives. 


CHAPTER   XIX. 

ONCE  alone,  Bathurst  threw  himself  down  among  the 
bushes  in  an  attitude  of  utter  depression. . 

"Why  wasn't  I  killed  with  the  others?"  he  groaned. 
"  Why  was  I  not  killed  when  I  sat  there  by  her  side?  " 

So  he  lay  for  an  hour,  and  then  slowly  rose  and  looked 
round.  There  was  a  faint  light  in  the  sky. 

"  It  will  be  light  in  another  hour,"  he  said  to  himself, 
and  he  again  sat  down.  Suddenly  he  started.  Had  some- 
one spoken,  or  had  he  fancied  it? 

"  Wait  till  I  come."  He  seemed  to  hear  the  words 
plainly,  just  as  he  had  heard  Rujub's  summons  before. 

"  That's  it;  it  is  Rujub.  How  is  it  that  he  can  make 
me  hear  in  this  way?  I  am  sure  it  was  his  voice.  Any- 
how, I  will  wait.  It  shows  he  is  thinking  of  me,  and  I 
am  sure  he  will  help  me.  I  know  well  enough  I  could  do 
nothing  by  myself." 

Bathurst  assumed  with  unquestioning  faith  that  Isobel 


RUJUB,  THE  .PUGGLER.  80S 

Hannay  was  alive.  He  had  no  reason  for  Ms  confidence. 
That  first  shower  of  grape  might  have  killed  her  as  it 
killed  others,  but  he  would  not  admit  the  doubt  in  his 
mind.  Wilson's  description  of  what  had  happened  while 
he  was  insensible  was  one  of  the  grounds  of  this  con- 
fidence. 

He  had  heard  women  scream.  Mrs.  Hunter  and  her 
daughter  were  the  only  other  women  in  the  boat.  Isobel 
would  not  have  screamed  had  those  muskets  been  pointed 
at  her,  nor  did  he  think  the  others  would  have  done  so. 
They  screamed  when  they  saw  the  natives  about  to  mur- 
der those  who  were  with  them.  The  three  women  were 
sitting  together,  and  if  one  had  fallen  by  the  grape  shot 
all  would  probably  have  been  killed.  He  felt  confident, 
therefore,  that  she  had  escaped;  he  believed  he  would 
have  known  it  had  she  been  killed. 

"  If  I  can  be  influenced  by  this  juggler,  surely  I  should 
have  felt  it  had  Isobel  died,"  he  argued,  and  was  satisfied 
that  she  was  still  alive. 

What,  however,  more  than  anything  else  gave  him  hope 
was  the  picture  on  the  smoke.  "Everything  else  has 
come  true/'  he  said  to  himself;  "why  should  not  that? 
Wilson  spoke  of  the  Doctor  as  dead.  I  will  not  believe 
it;  for  if  he  is  dead,  the  picture  is  false.  Why  should 
that  thing  of  all  others  have  been  shown  to  me  unless 
it  had  been  true?  What  seemed  impossible  to  me — that 
I  should  be  fighting  like  a  brave  man — has  been  verified. 
Why  should  not  this?  I  should  have  laughed  at  such 
superstition  six  months  ago;  now  I  cling  to  it  as  my  one 
ground  for  hope.  Well,  I  will  wait  if  I  have  to  stay  here 
until  to-morrow  night." 

Noiselessly  he  moved  about  in  the  little  wood,  going 
to  the  edge  and  looking  out,  pacing  to  and  fro  with  quick 
steps,  his  face  set  in  a  frown,  occasionally  muttering  to 
himself.  He  was  in  a  fever  of  impatience.  He  longed 
to  be  doing  something,  even  if  that  something  led  to  his 
detention  and  death.  He  said  to  himself  that  he  should 
not  care  so  that  Isobel  Hannay  did  but  know  that  he 
had  died  in  trying  to  rescue  her. 

The  sun  rose,  and  he  saw  the  peasants  in  the  fields,  and 
caught  the  note  of  a  bugle  sounding  from  the  lines  at 


306  RUJVBi  THE  JUGGLER. 

Cawnpore.  At  last — it  had  seemed  to  him  an  age,  but  the 
sun  had  been  up  only  an  hour — he  saw  a  figure  coining 
along  the  river  bank.  As  it  approached  he  told  himself 
that  it  was  the  juggler;  if  so,  he  had  laid  aside  the  gar- 
ments in  which  he  last  saw  him,  and  was  now  attired  as 
when  they  first  met.  When  he  saw  him  turn  off  from  the 
river  bank  and  advance  straight  towards  the  wood,  he 
had  no  doubt  that  it  was  the  man  he  expected. 

"  Thanks  be  to  the  holy  ones  that  you  have  escaped, 
sahib,"  Rujub  said,  as  soon  as  he  came  within  speaking 
distance  of  Bathurst.  "  I  was  in  an  agony  last  night.  I 
was  with  you  in  thought,  and  saw  the  boats  approaching 
the  ambuscade.  I  saw  you  leap  over  and  swim  to  shore. 
I  saw  you  fall,  and  I  cried  out.  For  a  moment  I  thought 
you  were  killed.  Then  I  saw  you  go  on  and  fall  again, 
and  saw  your  friends  carry  you  in.  I  watched  you  re- 
cover and  come  on  here,  and  then  I  willed  it  that  you 
should  wait  here  till  I  came  for  you.  I  have  brought 
you  a  disguise,  for  I  did  not  know  that  you  had  one  with 
you.  But,  first  of  all,  sit  down  and  let  me  dress  your 
wound  afresh.  I  have  brought  all  that  is  necessary 
for  it." 

"  You  are  a  true  fried,  Rujub.  I  relied  upon  you  for 
aid;  do  you  know  why  I  waited  here  instead  of  going 
down  with  the  others?" 

"I  know,  sahib.  I  can  tell  your  thoughts  as  easily 
when  you  are  away  from  me  as  I  can  when  we  are 
together." 

"  Can  you  do  this  with  all  people?  " 

"  No,  my  lord;  to  be  able  to  read  another's  thoughts 
it  is  necessary  there  should  be  a  mystic  relation  estab- 
lished between  them.  As  I  walked  beside  your  horse 
when  you  carried  my  daughter  before  you  after  saving 
her  life,  I  felt  that  this  relation  had  commenced,  and 
that  henceforward  our  fates  were  connected.  It  was  nec- 
essary that  you  should  have  confidence  in  me,  and  it  was 
for  that  reason  that  I  showed  you  some  of  the  feats  that 
we  rarely  exhibit,  and  proved  to  you  that  I  possessed 
powers  with  which  you  were  unacquainted.  But  in 
thought-reading  my  daughter  has  greater  powers  than  I 
have,  and  it  was  she  who  last  night  followed  you  on  your 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER.  307 

journey,  sitting  with  her  hand  in  mine,  so  that  my  mind 
followed  hers." 

"Do  you  know  all  that  happened  last  night,  Rujub?" 
Bathurst  said,  summoning  up  courage  to  ask  the  ques- 
tion that  had  been  on  his  lips  from  the  first. 

"  I  only  know,  my  lord,  that  the  party  was  destroyed, 
save  three  white  women,  who  were  brought  in  just  as 
the  sun  rose  this  morning.  One  was  the  lady  behind 
whose  chair  you  stood  the  night  I  performed  at  Deennug- 
ghur,  the  lady  about  whom  you  are  thinking.  I  do  not 
know  the  other  two;  one  was  getting  on  in  life,  the  other 
was  a  young  one." 

The  relief  was  so  great  that  Bathurst  turned  away, 
unable  for  a  while  to  continue  the  conversation.  When 
he  resumed  the  talk,  he  asked,  "  Did  you  see  them  your- 
self, Rujub?" 

"I  saw  them,  sahib;  they  were  brought  in  on  a  gun. 
carriage." 

"How  did  they  look,  Rujub?" 

K  The  old  one  looked  calm  and  sad.  She  did  not  seem 
to  hear  the  shouts  of  the  budmashes  as  they  passed 
along.  She  held  the  young  one  close  to  her.  That  one 
seemed  worn  out  with  grief  and  terror.  Your  mem- 
sahib  sat  upright;  she  was  very  pale  and  changed  from 
the  time  I  saw  her  that  evening,  but  she  held  her  head 
high,  and  looked  almost  scornfully  at  the  men  who  shook 
their  fists  and  cried  at  her." 

"  And  they  put  them  with  the  other  women  that  they 
have  taken  prisoners?" 

Rujub  hesitated. 

"  They  have  put  the  other  two  there,  sahib,  but  her 
they  took  to  Bithoor." 

Bathurst  started,  and  an  exclamation  of  horror  and 
rage  burst  from  him. 

"To  the  Rajah's!"  he  exclaimed.  "To  that  scoun- 
drel !  Come,  let  us  go.  Why  are  we  staying  here  ?  " 

"  We  can  do  nothing  for  the  moment.  Before  I  started 
I  sent  off  my  daughter  to  Bithoor;  she  knows  many  there, 
and  will  find  out  what  is  being  done  and  bring  us  word, 
for  I  dare  not  show  myself  there.  The  Rajah  is  furious 
with  me  because  I  did  not  support  the  Sepoys,  and 


808  RUJUB,  TEE  JUGGLER. 

suffered  conditions  to  be  made  with  your  people,  but  now 
that  all  has  turned  out  as  he  wished,  I  will  in  a  short 
time  present  myself  before  him  again,  but  for  the  mo- 
ment it  was  better  that  my  daughter  should  go,  as  I 
had  to  come  to  you.  But  first  you  had  better  put  on  the 
disguise  I  have  brought  you.  You  are  too  big  and  strong 
to  pass  without  notice  in  that  peasant's  dress.  The  one 
I  have  brought  you  is  such  as  is  worn  by  the  rough  peo- 
ple, the  budmashes  of  Cawnpore.  I  can  procure  others 
afterwards  when  we  see  what  had  best  be  done.  It  will 
be  easy  enough  to  enter  Bithoor,  for  all  is  confusion 
there,  and  men  come  and  go  as  they  choose,  but  it  will 
be  well-nigh  impossible  for  you  to  penetrate  where  the 
mem-sahib  will  be  placed.  Even  for  me,  known  as  I  am 
to  all  the  Rajah's  officers,  it  would  be  impossible  to  do 
so;  it  is  my  daughter  in  whom  we  shall  have  to  trust." 

Bathurst  rapidly  put  on  the  clothes  that  Rujub  had 
brought  with  him,  and  thrust  a  sword,  two  daggers,  and 
a  brace  of  long-barreled  pistols  into  the  sash  round  his 
waist. 

"Your  color  is  not  dark  enough,  sahib.  I  have 
brought  dye  with  me;  but  first  I  must  dress  the  wound 
on  your  head,  and  bandage  it  more  neatly,  so  that  the 
blood-stained  swathings  will  not  show  below  the  folds 
of  your  turban." 

Bathurst  submitted  himself  impatiently  to  Rujub's 
hands.  The  latter  cut  off  all  the  hair  that  would  show 
under  the  turban,  dyed  the  skin  the  same  color  as  the 
other  parts,  and  finally,  after  darkening  his  eyebrows, 
eyelashes,  and  mustache,  pronounced  that  he  would 
pass  anywhere  without  attracting  attention.  Then  they 
started  at  a  quick  walk  along  the  river,  crossed  by  the 
ferryboat  to  Cawnpore,  and  made  their  way  to  a  quiet 
street  in  the  native  town. 

"  This  is  my  house  for  the  present,"  Rujub  said,  pro- 
ducing a  key  and  unlocking  a  door.  He  shouted  as  he 
closed  the  door  behind  him,  and  an  old  woman  appeared. 

"Is  the  meal  prepared?"  he  asked. 

"It  is  ready,"  she  said. 

"That  is  right.  Tell  Rhuman  to  put  the  pony  into 
the  cart." 


RUJVtf,  THE  JUGGLER.  309 

He  then  led  the  way  into  a  comfortably  furnished 
apartment  where  a  meal  was  laid. 

"  Eat,  my  lord/'  he  said;  "  you  need  it,  and  will  require 
your  strength." 

Bathurst,  who,  during  his  walk,  had  felt  the  effects 
of  the  loss  of  Hood  and  anxiety,  at  once  seated  himself 
at  the  table  and  ate,  at  first  languidly,  but  as  appetite 
came,  more  heartily,  and  felt  still  more  benefited  by  a  bot- 
tle of  excellent  wine  Rujub  had  placed  beside  him.  The 
latter  returned  to  the  room  just  as  he  had  finished.  He 
was  now  attired  as  he  had  been  when  Bathurst  last  met 
him  at  Deennugghur. 

"  I  feel  another  man>  Rujub,  and  fit  for  anything." 

"  The  cart  is  ready,"  Rujub  said.  "  I  have  already 
taken  my  meal;  we  do  not  eat  meat,  and  live  entirely  on 
vegetables.  Meat  clouds  the  senses,  and  simple  food, 
and  little  of  it,  is  necessary  for  those  who  would  enter 
the  inner  brotherhood." 

At  the  door  a  small  native  cart  was  standing  with  a 
pony  in  the  shafts. 

"  You  will  go  with  us,  Rhuman,"  Rujub  said,  as  he  and 
Bathurst  took  their  seats  in  the  cart. 

The  boy  squatted  down  at  Rujub's  feet,  taking  the 
reins  and  whip,  and  the  pony  started  off  at  a  brisk  pace. 
Upon  the  way  Rujub  talked  of  various  matters,  of  the 
reports  of  the  force  that  was  gathering  at  Allahabad, 
and  the  madness  of  the  British  in  supposing  that  two  or 
three  thousand  men  could  withstand  the  forces  of  the 
Nana. 

"  They  would  be  eaten  up,"  he  said;  "  the  troops  will 
go  out  to  meet  them;  they  will  never  arrive  within  sight 
of  Cawnpore." 

As  Bathurst  saw  that  he  was  talking  for  the  boy  to 
hear,  rather  than  to  himself,  he  agreed  loudly  with  ail 
that  he  said,  and  boasted  that  even  without  the  N  ana's 
troops  and  the  Sepoys,  the  people  of  Cawnpore  could  cut 
the  English  dogs  to  pieces. 

The  drive  was  not  a  long  one,  and  the  road  was  full 
of  parties  going  to  or  returning  from  Bithoor — groups 
of  Sepoy  officers,  parties  of  budmashes  from  Cawnpore, 
mounted  messengers,  landowners  with,  their  retainers, 


310  RUJU3,  THE  JUGGLER. 

and  others.  Arriving  within  a  quarter  of  a  mile  of  the 
palace,  Rujub  ordered  the  boy  to  draw  aside. 

"  Take  the  horse  down  that  road,"  he  said,  "  and  wait 
there  until  we  return.  We  may  be  some  time.  If  we  are 
not  back  by  the  time  the  sun  sets,  you  will  return 
home." 

As  they  approached  the  palace  Bathurst  scanned 
every  window,  as  if  he  hoped  to  see  Isobel's  face  at  one 
of  them.  Entering  the  garden,  they  avoided  the  terrace 
in  front  of  the  house,  and  sauntering  througii  the  groups 
of  people  who  had  gathered  discussing  the  latest  news, 
they  took  their  seat  in  a  secluded  corner. 

Bathurst  thought  of  the  last  time  he  had  been  there, 
when  there  had  been  a  fete  given  by  the  Rajah  to  the 
residents  of  Cawnpore,  and  contrasted  the  present  with 
the  past.  Then  the  gardens  were  lighted  up,  and  a  crowd 
of  officers  and  civilians  with  ladies  in  white  dresses  had 
strolled  along  the  terrace  to  the  sound  of  gay  music, 
while  their  host  moved  about  among  them,  courteous, 
pleasant,  and  smiling.  Now  the  greater  portion  of  the 
men  were  dead,  the  women  were  prisoners  in  the  hands 
of  the  native  who  had  professed  such  friendship  for 
them. 

"  Tell  me,  Rujub,"  ]ie  said  presently,  "  more  about  this 
force  at  Allabahad.  What  is  its  strength  likely  to  be?" 

"  They  say  there  is  one  British  regiment  of  the  line, 
one  of  the  plumed  regiments  with  bare  legs,  and  one  of 
the  white  Madras  regiments;  they  have  a  few  guns,  a  very 
few  horsemen;  that  is  all,  while  there  are  twenty  thou- 
sand troops  here.  How  can  they  hope  to  win?  " 

"  You  will  see  they  will  win,"  Bathurst  said  sternly. 
"They  have  often  fought  well,  but  they  will  fight  now 
as  they  never  fought  before;  every  man  will  feel  himself 
an  avenger  of  the  foul  treachery  and  the  brutal  massacres 
that  have  been  committed.  Were  it  but  one  regiment 
that  is  coming  up  instead  of  three,  I  would  back  it 
against  the  blood-stained  wretches." 

"  They  are  fighting  for  freedom,"  Rujub  said. 

"  They  are  fighting  for  nothing  of  the  sort,"  Bathurst 
replied  hotly;  "  they  are  fighting  for  they  know  not  what 
— change  of  masters,  for  license  to  plunder,  and  because 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  311 

they  are  ignorant  and  have  been  led  away.  I  doubt  not 
that  at  present,  confident  as  they  may  be  of  victory,  most 
of  them  in  their  hearts  regret  what  they  have  done. 
They  have  forfeited  their  pensions,  they  have  thrown 
away  the  benefits  of  their  years  of  service,  they  have 
been  faithless  to  their  salt,  and  false  to  their  oaths.  It 
is  true  that  they  know  they  are  fighting  with  ropes  round 
their  necks,  but  even  that  won't  avail  against  the  dis- 
cipline and  the  fury  of  our  troops.  I  feel  as  certain, 
Rujub,  that,  in  spite  of  the  odds  against  them,  the 
English  will  triumph,  as  if  I  saw  their  column  march- 
ing into  the  town.  I  don't  profess  to  see  the  future  as 
you  do,  but  I  know  enough  to  tell  you  that  ere  long  that 
palace  you  can  see  through  the  trees  will  be  leveled  to 
the  ground,  that  it  is  as  assuredly  doomed  as  if  fire  had 
Already  been  applied  to  its  gilded  beams." 

Eujub  nodded.  "  I  know  the  palace  is  doomed.  While 
I  have  looked  at  it  it  has  seemed  hidden  by  a  cloud  of 
smoke,  but  I  did  not  think  it  was  the  work  of  the  British 
— I  thought  of  an  accident." 

"  The  Rajah  may  fire  it  with  his  own  hands,"  Bathurst 
said;  "  but  if  he  does  not,  it  will  be  done  for  him." 

"  I  have  not  told  you  yet,  sahib,"  Rujub  said,  changing 
the  subject,  "  how  it  was  that  I  could  neither  prevent  the 
attack  on  the  boats  nor  warn  you  that  it  was  coming. 
I  knew  at  Deennugghur  that  news  had  been  sent  of  the 
surrender  to  the  Nana.  I  remained  till  I  knew  you  were 
safely  in  the  boats,  and  then  rode  to  Cawnpore.  My 
daugher  was  at  the  house  when  I  arrived,  and  told  me 
that  the  Nana  was  furious  with  me,  and  that  it  would 
not  be  safe  for  me  to  go  near  the  palace.  Thus,  although 
I  feared  that  an  attack  was  intended,  I  thought  it  would 
not  be  until  the  boats  passed  the  town.  It  was  late  be- 
fore I  learnt  that  a  battery  of  artillery  and  some  in- 
fantry had  set  out  that  afternoon.  Then  I  tried  to  warn 
you,  but  I  felt  that  I  failed.  You  were  not  in  a  mood 
when  my  mind  could  communicate  itself  to  yours." 

"  I  felt  very  uneasy  and  restless,"  Bathurst  said,  "  but 
I  had  not  the  same  feeling  that  you  were  speaking  to  me 
I  had  that  night  at  Deennugghur;  but  even  had  I  known 
of  the  danger,  there  would  have  been  no  avoiding  it.  Had 


812  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

we  landed,  we  must  have  been  overtaken,  and  it  would 
have  come  to  the  same  thing.  Tell  me,  Rujub,  had  you 
any  idea  when  I  saw  you  at  Deennugghur  that  if  we  were 
taken  prisoners  Miss  Hannay  was  to  be  brought  here  in- 
stead of  being  placed  with  the  other  ladies?  " 

"Yes,  I  knew  it,  sahib;  the  orders  he  gave  to  the 
Sepoys  were  that  every  man  was  to  be  killed,  and  that 
the  women  and  children  were  to  be  taken  to  Cawnpore, 
except  Miss  Hannay,  who  was  to  be  carried  here  at  once. 
The  Rajah  had  noticed  her  more  than  once  when  she  was 
at  Cawnpore,  and  had  made  up  his  mind  that  she  should 
go  to  his  zenana/' 

"  Why  did  you  not  tell  me  when  you  were  at  Deen- 
nugghur?" 

"What  would  have  been  the  use,  sahib?  I  hoped  to 
save  you  all;  besides,  it  was  not  until  we  saw  her  taken 
past  this  morning  that  we  knew  that  the  Miss  Hannay 
who  was  to  be  taken  to  Bithoor  was  the  lady  whom  my 
daughter,  when  she  saw  her  with  you  that  night,  said 
at  once  that  you  loved.  But  had  we  known  it,  what  good 
would  it  have  done  to  have  told  you  of  the  Rajah's 
orders?  You  could  not  have  done  more  than  you  have 
done.  But  now  we  know,  we  will  aid  you  to  save  her." 

"  How  long  will  your  daughter  be  before  she  comes?  It 
is  horrible  waiting  here." 

"You  must  have  patience,  sahib.  It  will  be  no  easy 
work  to  get  the  lady  away.  There  will  be  guards  and 
women  to  look  after  her.  A  lady  is  not  to  be  stolen  out 
of  a  zenana  as  a  young  bird  is  taken  from  its  nest." 

"  It  is  all  very  well  to  say  '  Be  patient,' "  Bathurst 
said,  getting  up  and  walking  up  and  down  with  quick 
angry  strides.  "  It  is  maddening  to  sit  here  doing  noth- 
ing. If  it  were  not  that  I  had  confidence  in  your  power 
and  will  to  aid  me,  I  would  go  into  the  palace  and  stab 
Nana  Sahib  to  the  heart,  though  I  were  cut  to  pieces 
for  it  the  moment  afterwards." 

"That  would  do  no  good  to  the  lady,  sahib,"  Rujub 
said  calmly.  "  She  would  only  be  left  without  a  friend, 
and  the  Nana's  death  might  be  the  signal  for  the 
murder  of  every  white  prisoner.  Ah,  here  comes  my 
daughter." 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  313 

Babda  came  up  quickly,  and  stopped  before  Bathnrst 
with  her  head  bowed  and  her  arms  crossed  in  an  attitude 
of  humility.  She  was  dressed  in  the  attire  worn  by  the 
principal  servants  in  attendance  upon  the  zenana  of  a 
Hindoo  prince. 

"  Well,  what  news,  Rabda?  "  Bathurst  asked  eagerly. 

"  The  light  of  my  lord's  heart  is  sick.  She  bore  up  till 
she  arrived  here  and  was  handed  over  to  the  women. 
Then  her  strength  failed  her,  and  she  fainted.  She  re- 
covered, but  she  is  lying  weak  and  exhausted  with  all 
that  she  has  gone  through  and  suffered." 

"  Where  is  she  now?  " 

"  She  is  in  the  zenana,  looking  out  into  the  women's 
court,  that  no  men  are  ever  allowed  to  enter." 

"Has  the  Rajah  seen  her?" 

"  No,  sahib.  He  was  told  the  state  that  she  was  in, 
and  the  chief  lady  of  the  zenana  sent  him  word  that  for 
the  present  she  must  have  quiet  and  rest,  but  that  in  two 
or  three  days  she  might  be  fit  to  see  him." 

"  That  is  something,"  Bathurst  said  thankfully.  "  Now 
we  shall  have  time  to  think  of  some  scheme  for  getting 
her  out." 

"You  have  been  in  the  zenana  yourself,  Rabda?" 
Rujub  asked. 

"  Yes,  father;  the  mistress  of  the  zenana  saw  me  di- 
rectly an  attendant  told  her  I  was  there.  She  has 
always  been  kind  to  me.  I  said  that  you  were  going  on  a 
journey,  and  asked  her  if  I  might  stay  with  her  and  act 
as  an  attendant  until  you  returned,  and  she  at  once 
assented.  She  asked  if  I  should  see  you  before  you  left, 
and  when  I  said  yes,  she  asked  if  you  could  not  give  her 
some  spell  that  would  turn  the  Rajah's  thoughts  from 
this  white  girl.  She  fears  that  if  she  should  become  first 
favorite  in  the  zenana,  she  might  take  things  in  her 
hands  as  English  women  do,  and  make  all  sorts  of 
changes.  I  told  her  that,  doubtless,  the  English  girl 
would  do  this,  and  that  I  thought  she  was  wise  to  ask 
your  assistance." 

"  You  are  mad,  Rabda,"  her  father  said  angrily; 
"what  have  I  to  do  with  spells  and  love  philters?" 

"No,  father,  I  knew  well  enough  you  would  not  be- 


314  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

lieve  in  such  things,  but  I  thought  in  this  way  I  might 
see  the  lady,  and  communicate  with  her." 

"  A  very  good  idea,  Rabda,"  Bathurst  said.  "  Is  there 
nothing  you  can  do,  Eujub,  to  make  her  odious  to  the 
Nana?" 

"  Nothing,  sahib.  I  could  act  upon  some  people's 
minds,  and  make  them  think  that  the  young  lady  was 
afflicted  by  some  loathsome  disease,  but  not  with  the 
Nana.  I  have  many  times  tried  to  influence  him,  but 
without  success:  his  mind  is  too  deep  for  mine  to  master, 
and  between  us  there  is  no  sympathy.  Could  I  be 
present  with  him  and  the  girl  I  might  do  something — 
that  is,  if  the  powers  that  aid  me  would  act  against  him; 
but  this  I  do  not  think." 

"Rujub,"  Bathurst  said  suddenly,  "there  must  have 
been  medical  stores  taken  when  the  camp  was  captured 
— drugs  and  things  of  that  sort.  Can  you  find  out  who 
has  become  possessed  of  them?" 

"I  might  find  out,  sahib.  Doubtless  the  men  who 
looted  the  camp  will  have  sold  the  drugs  to  the  native 
shops,  for  English  drugs  are  highly  prized.  Are  there 
medicines  that  can  act  as  the  mistress  of  the  zenana 
wishes?  " 

"No;  but  there  are  drugs  that  when  applied  ex- 
ternally would  give  the  appearance  of  a  terrible  disease. 
There  are  acids  whose  touch  would  burn  and  blister  the 
skin,  and  turn  a  beautiful  face  into  a  dreadful  mask." 

"  But  would  it  recover  its  fairness,  sahib  ?  " 

"  The  traces  might  last  for  a  long  time,  even  for  life, 
if  too  much  were  used,  but  I  am  sure  Miss  Hannay  would 
not  hesitate  for  a  moment  on  that  account." 

"But  you,  sahib — would  you  risk  her  being  dis- 
figured?" 

"  What  does  it  matter  to  me?  "  Bathurst  asked  sternly. 
"  Do  you  think  love  is  skin  deep,  and  that  'tis  only  for  a 
fair  complexion  that  we  choose  our  wives?  Find  me  the 
drugs,  and  let  Rabda  take  them  into  her  with  a  line  from 
me.  One  of  them  you  can  certainly  get,  for  it  is  used,  I 
believe,  by  gold-  and  silver-smiths.  It  is  nitric  acid;  the 
other  is  caustic  potash,  or,  as  it  is  sometimes  labeled, 
lunar  caustic.  It  is  in  little  sticks;  but  if  you  find  out 


BVJUB,  THE  JUGGLER.  315 

anyone  who  has  bought  drugs  or  cases  of  medicines,  I 
will  go  with  you  and  pick  them  out." 

"  There  will  be  no  difficulty  about  finding  out  where 
the  English  drugs  are.  They  are  certain  to  be  at  one  of 
the  shops  where  the  native  doctors  buy  their  medicines/' 

"  Let  us  go  at  once,  then,"  Bathurst  said.  "  You  can 
prepare  some  harmless  drink,  and  Eabda  will  tell  the 
mistress  of  the  zenana  it  will  bring  out  a  disfiguring 
eruption.  \Ye  can  be  back  here  again  this  evening.  Will 
you  be  here,  Kabda,  at  sunset,  and  wait  until  we  come? 
You  can  tell  the  woman  that  you  have  seen  your  father, 
and  that  he  will  supply  her  with  what  she  requires.  Make 
some  excuse,  if  you  can,  to  see  the  prisoner.  Say  you  are 
curious  to  see  the  white  woman  who  has  bewitched  the 
Nana,  and  if  you  get  the  opportunity  whisper  in  her  ear 
these  words,  *  Do  not  despair,  friends  are  working  for 
you.' " 

Eabda  repeated  the  English  words  several  times  over 
until  she  had  them  perfect;  then  she  made  her  way  back 
to  the  palace,  while  Bathurst  and  his  companion  pro- 
ceeded at  once  to  the  spot  where  they  had  left  their 
vehicle. 

They  had  but  little  difficulty  in  finding  what  they  re- 
quired. Many  of  the v  shops  displayed  garments,  weapons, 
jewelry,  and  other  things,  the  plunder  of  the  intrench- 
ments  of  Cawnpore.  Rujub  entered  several  shops  where 
drugs  were  sold,  and  finally  one  of  the  traders  said,  "  I 
have  a  large  black  box  full  of  drugs  which  I  bought  from 
a  Sepoy  for  a  rupee,  but  now  that  I  have  got  it  I  do  not 
know  what  to  do  with  it.  Some  of  the  bottles  doubtless 
contain  poisons.  I  will  sell  it  you  for  two  rupees,  which 
is  the  value  of  the  box,  which,  as  you  see,  is  very 
strong  and  bound  with  iron.  The  contents  I  place  no 
price  upon." 

"  I  will  take  it,"  Eujub  said.  "  I  know  some  of  the 
English  medicines,  and  may  find  a  use  for  them." 

He  paid  the  money,  called  in  a  coolie,  and  bade  him 
take  up  the  chest  and  follow  him,  and  they  soon  arrived 
at  the  juggler's  house. 

The  box,  which  was  a  hospital  medical  chest,  was  filled 
with  drugs  of  all  kinds.  Bathurst  put  a  stick  of  caustic 


315  RUJDB,  THE  JUGGLER, 

into  a  small  vial,  and  half  filled  another,  which  had  a 
glass  stopper,  with  nitric  acid,  filled  it  up  with  water,  and 
tried  the  effect  of  rubbing  a  few  drops  on  his  arm. 

"  That  is  strong  enough  for  anything,"  he  said,  with  a 
slight  exclamation  at  the  sharp  pain.  "  And  now  give 
me  a  piece  of  paper  and  pen  and  ink."  Then  sitting 
down  he  wrote: 

"MY  DEAK  Miss  HANNAY:  Eujub,  the  juggler,  and 
I  will  do  what  we  can  to  rescue  you.  We  are  powerless 
to  effect  anything  as  long  as  you  remain  where  you  are. 
The  bearer,  Rujub's  daughter,  will  give  you  the  bottles, 
one  containing  lunar  caustic,  the  other  nitric  acid.  The 
mistress  of  the  zenana,  who  wants  to  get  rid  of  you,  as 
she  fears  you  might  obtain  influence  over  the  Nana,  has 
asked  the  girl  to  obtain  from  her  father  a  philter  which 
will  make  you  odious  to  him.  The  large  bottle  is  per- 
fectly harmless,  and  you  can  drink  its  contents  without 
fear.  The  caustic  is  for  applying  to  your  lips;  it  will  be 
painful,  but  I  am  sure  you  will  not  mind  that,  and  the 
injury  will  be  only  of  a  temporary  mvlure.  I  cannot 
promise  as  much  for  the  nitric  acid;  pray  apply  it  very 
carefully,  merely  moistening  the  glass  stopper  and  apply- 
ing it  with  that.  I  should  use  it  principally  round  the 
lips.  It  will  burn  and  blister  the  skin.  The  Nana  will 
be  told  that  you  have  a  fever,  which  is  causing  a  terrible 
and  disfiguring  eruption.  I  should  apply  it  also  to  the 
neck  and  hands.  Pray  be  very  careful  with  the  stuff; 
for,  besides  the  application  being  exceeding!}'  painful,  the 
scars  may  possibly*  remain  permanently.  Keep  the  two 
small  bottles  carefully  hidden,  in  order  to  renew  the  ap- 
plication if  absolutely  necessary.  At  any  rate,  this  will 
give  us  time,  and,  from  what  I  hear,  our  troops  are  likely 
to  be  here  in  another  ten  days'  time.  You  will  be,  I 
know,  glad  to  hear  that  Wilson  has  also  escaped. 

1  "  Yours,  "  R.  BATHUKST." 

A  large  bottle  was  next  filled  with  elder-flower  water. 
The  trap  was  brought  around,  and  they  drove  back  to 
Bithoor.  Rabda  was  punctual  to  her  appointment. 

"  I  have  seen  her,"  she  said,  "  and  have  given  her  the 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER.  317 

message.  I  could  see  that  she  understood  it,  but  as  there 
were  other  women  round,  she  made  no  sign.  I  told  the 
mistress  of  the  zenana  that  you  had  given,  me  some 
magic  words  that  I  was  to  whisper  to  her  to  prepare  the 
way  for  the  philter,  so  she  let  me  in  without  difficulty,  and 
I  was  allowed  to  go  close  up  to  her  and  repeat  your 
message.  I  put  my  hands  on  her  before  I  did  so,  and  I 
think  she  felt  that  it  was  the  touch  of  a  friend.  She 
flushed  up  when  I  spoke  to  her.  The  mistress,  who  was 
standing  close  by,  thought  that  this  was  a  sign  of  the 
power  of  the  words  I  had  spoken  to  her.  I  did  not  stay 
more  than  a  minute.  I  was  afraid  she  might  try  to 
speak  to  me  in  your  tongue,  and  that  would  have  been 
dangerous." 

"  There  are  the  bottles,"  Bathurst  said;  "  this  large 
one  is  for  her  to  take,  the  other  two  and  this  note  are  to 
be  given  to  her  separately.  You  had  better  tell  the 
woman  that  the  philter  must  be  given  by  your  own 
hands,  and  that  you  must  then  watch  alone  by  her  side 
for  half  an  hour.  Say  that  after  you  leave  her  she  will 
soon  go  off  to  sleep,  and  must  then  be  left  absolutely 
alone  till  daybreak  to-morrow,  and  it  will  then  be  found 
that  the  philter  has  acted.  She  must  at  once  tell  the 
Nana  that  the  lady  is  in  a  high  fever,  and  has  been  seized 
with  some  terrible  disease  that  has  altogether  disfigured 
her,  and  that  he  can  see  for  himself  the  state  she  is  in." 

Rabda's  whisper  had  given  new  life  and  hope  to  Isobel 
Hannay.  Previous  to  that  her  fate  had  seemed  to  her 
to  be  sealed,  and  she  had  only  prayed  for  death;  the  long 
strain  of  the  siege  had  told  upon  her;  the  scene  in  the 
boat  seemed  a  species  of  horrible  nightmare,  culminating 
in  a  number  of  Sepoys  leaping  on  board  the  boat  as  it 
touched  the  bank,  and  bayoneting  her  uncle  and  all  on 
board  except  herself,  Mrs.  Hunter,  and  her  daughter, 
who  were  seized  and  carried  ashore.  Then  followed  a 
night  of  dull  despairing  pain,  while  she  and  her  compan- 
ions crouched  together,  with  two  Sepoys  standing  on 
guard  over  them,  while  the  others,  after  lighting  fires, 
talked  and  laughed  long  into  the  night  over  the  success 
of  their  attack. 


318  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

At  daybreak  they  had  been  placed  upon  a  limber  and 
driven  into  Cawnpore.  Her  spirit  had  risen  as  they  were 
assailed  by  insults  and  imprecations  by  the  roughs  of  the 
town,  and  she  had  borne  up  bravely  till,  upon  their  arrival 
at  the  entrance  to  what  she  supposed  was  the  prison,  she 
was  roughly  dragged  from  the  limber,  placed  in  a  close 
carriage,  and  driven  off.  In  her  despair  she  had  en- 
deavored to  open  the  door  in  order  to  throw  herself 
under  the  wheels,  but  a  soldier  stood  on  each  step  and 
prevented  her  from  doing  so. 

Outside  of  the  town  she  soon  saw  that  she  was  on  the 
road  to  Bithoor,  and  the  fate  for  which  she  was  reserved 
flashed  upon  her.  She  remembered  now  the  oily  compli- 
ments of  Nana  Sahib,  and  the  unpleasant  thrill  she  had 
felt  when  his  eyes  were  fixed  upon  her;  and  had  she 
possessed  a  weapon  of  any  kind  she  would  have  put  an 
end  to  her  life.  But  her  pistol  had  been  taken  from  her 
when  she  landed,  and  in  helpless  despair  she  crouched 
in  a  corner  of  the  carriage  until  they  reached  Bithoor. 

As  soon  as  the  carriage  stopped  a  cloth  was  thrown 
over  her  head.  She  was  lifted  out  and  carried  into  the 
palace,  through  long  passages  and  up  stairs;  then  those 
who  carried  her  set  her  on  her  feet  and  retired.  Other 
hands  took  her  and  led  her  forward  till  the  cloth  was 
taken  off  her  head,  and  she  found  herself  surrounded  by 
women,  who  regarded  her  with  glances  of  mixed  curiosity 
#nd  hostility.  Then  everything  seemed  to  swim  round, 
and  she  fainted. 

When  she  recovered  consciousness  all  strength  seemed 
to  have  left  her,  and  she  lay  in  a  sort  of  apathy  for  hours, 
taking  listlessly  the  drink  that  was  offered  to  her,  but 
paying  no  attention  to  what  was  passing  around,  until 
there  was  a  gentle  pressure  on  her  arm,  the  grasp  tight- 
ening with  a  slight  caressing  motion  that  seemed  to  show 
sympathy;  then  came  the  English  words  softly  whispered 
into  her  ear,  while  the  hand  again  pressed  her  arm  firmly, 
as  if  in  warning. 

It  was  with  difficulty  that  she  refrained  from  uttering 
an  exclamation,  and  she  felt  the  blood  crimson  her 
cheeks,  but  she  mastered  the  impulse  and  lay  perfectly 
quiet,  glancing  up  into  the  face  bent  down  close  to  hers. 


RUJOB,  TEE  JUGGLER.  319 

It  was  not  familiar  to  her,  and  yet  it  seemed  to  her  that 
she  had  seen  it  somewhere;  another  minute  and  it  was 
gone. 

But  though  to  all  appearances  Isobel's  attitude  was 
unchanged,  her  mind  was  active  now.  Who  could  have 
sent  her  this  message?  Who  could  this  native  girl  be 
who  had  spoken  in  English  to  her?  Where  had  she  seen 
the  face? 

Her  thoughts  traveled  backwards,  and  she  ran  over  in 
her  mind  all  those  with  whom  she  had  come  in  contact 
since  her  arrival  in  India;  her  servants  and  those  of  her 
acquaintances  passed  before  her  eyes.  She  had  scarcely 
spoken  to  another  native  woman  since  she  had  landed. 
After  thinking  over  all  she  had  known  in  Cawnpore,  she 
thought  of  Deennugghur.  Whom  had  she  met  there? 

Suddenly  came  the  remembrance  of  the  exhibition  by 
the  juggler,  and  she  recalled  the  face  and  figure  of  his 
daughter,  as,  seated  upon  the  growing  pole,  she  had  gone, 
up  foot  by  foot  in  the  light  of  the  lamps  and  up  into  the 
darkness  above.  The  mystery  was  solved;  that  was  the 
face  that  had  just  leaned  over  her. 

But  how  could  she  be  interested  in  her  fate?  Then 
she  remembered  that  this  was  the  girl  whom  Bathurst 
had  saved  from  the  tiger.  If  they  were  interested  in  her, 
it  must  be  through  Bathurst.  Could  he  too  have  sur- 
vived the  attack  of  the  night  before?  She  had  thought 
of  him,  as  of  all  of  them,  as  dead,  but  possibly  he  might 
have  escaped.  Even  during  the  long  night's  waiting,  a 
captive  to  the  Sepoys,  the  thought  that  he  had  instantly 
sprung  from  beside  her  and  leaped  overboard  had  been 
an  added  pang  to  all  her  misery.  She  had  no  after  re- 
membrance of  him;  perhaps  he  had  swum  to  shore  and 
got  off  in  safety.  In  that  case  he  must  be  lingering  in 
Cawnpore,  had  learned  what  had  become  of  her,  and  was 
trying  to  rescue  her.  It  was  to  the  juggler  he  would 
naturally  have  gone  to  obtain  assistance.  If  so,  he  was 
risking  his  life  now  to  save  hers;  and  this  was  the  man 
whom  she  despised  as  a  coward. 

But  what  could  he  do?  At  Bithoor,  in  the  power  of 
this  treacherous  Rajah,  secure  in  the  zenana,  where  no 
man  save  its  master  ever  penetrated,  how  could  he  possi- 


320  RUJUB,   THE  JUQQLER. 

bly  help  her?  Yet  the  thought  that  he  was  trying  to  do 
so  was  a  happy  one,  and  the  tears  that  flowed  between 
her  closed  lids  were  not  painful  ones.  She  blamed  her- 
self now  for  having  felt  for  a  moment  hurt  at  Bathurst's 
desertion  of  her.  To  have  remained  in  the  boat  would 
have  been  certain  death,  while  he  could  have  been  of  no 
assistance  to  her  or  anyone  else.  That  he  should  escape, 
then,  if  he  could,  now  seemed  to  her  a  perfectly  natural 
action;  she  hoped  that  some  of  the  others  had  done  the 
same,  and  that  Bathurst  was  not  working  alone. 

It  did  not  occur  to  her  that  there  could  be  any  possi- 
bility of  the  scheme  for  her  rescue  succeeding;  as  to  that 
she  felt  no  more  hopef&l  than  before,  but  it  seemed  to 
take  away  the  sense  of  utter  loneliness  that  she  before 
felt  that  someone  should  be  interesting  himself  in  her 
fate.  Perhaps  there  would  be  more  than  a  mere  verbal 
message  next  time;  how  long  would  it  be  before  she  heard 
again?  How  long  a  respite  had  she  before  that  wretch 
came  to  see  her?  Doubtless  he  had  heard  that  she  was  ill. 
She  would  remain  so.  She  would  starve  herself.  Her 
weakness  seemed  to  her  her  best  protection. 

As  she  lay  apparently  helpless  upon  the  couch  she 
watched  the  women  move  about  the  room.  The  girl  who 
had  spoken  to  her  was  not  among  them.  The  women 
were  not  unkind;  they  brought  her  cooling  drinks,  and 
tried  to  tempt  her  to  eat  something;  but  .she  shook  her 
head  as  if  utterly  unable  to  do  so,  and  after  a  time 
feigned  to  be  asleep. 

Darkness  came  on  gradually;  some  lamps  were  lighted 
in  the  room.  Not  for  a  moment  had  she  been  left  alone 
since  she  was  brought  in — never  less  than  two  females 
remaining  with  her. 

Presently  the  woman  who  was  evidently  the  chief  of 
the  establishment  came  in  accompanied  by  a  girl,  whom 
Isobel  recognized  at  once  as  the  juggler's  daughter.  The 
latter  brought  with  her  a  tray,  on  which  were  some  cakes 
and  a  silver  goblet.  These  she  set  down  on  an  oak  table 
by  the  couch.  The  girl  then  handed  her  the  goblet,  which, 
keeping  up  the  appearance  of  extreme  feebleness,  she 
took  languidly.  She  placed  it  to  her  lips,  but  at  once 
took  it  away.  It  was  not  cool  and  refreshing  like  those 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  821 

she  had  tasted  before.    It  had  but  little  flavor,  but  had  a 
faint  odor,  which  struck  her  as  not  unfamiliar.    It  was  a  * 
drug  of  some  sort  they  wished  her  to  drink. 

She  looked  up  in  the  girl's  face.  Eabda  made  a  re- 
assuring gesture,  and  said  in  a  low  whisper,  as  she  bent 
forward,  "  Bathurst  Sahib." 

This  was  sufficient;  whatever  it  was  it  would  do  her  no 
harm,  and  she  raised  the  cup  to  her  lips  and  emptied  it. 
Then  the  elder  woman  said  something  to  the  other  two, 
and  they  all  left  the  room  together,  leaving  her  alone 
with  Rabda. 

The  latter  went  to  the  door  quietly  and  drew  the  hang- 
ings across  it,  then  she  returned  to  the  couch,  and  from 
the  folds  of  her  dress  produced  two  vials  and  a  tiny 
note.  Then,  noiselessly,  she  placed  a  lamp  on  the  table, 
and  withdrew  to  a  short  distance  while  Isobel  opened  and 
read  the  note. 

Twice  she  read  it  through,  and  then,  laying  it  down, 
burst  into  tears  of  relief.  Rabda  came  and  knelt  down 
beside  the  couch,  and,  taking  one  of  her  hands,  pressed 
it  to  her  lips.  Isobel  threw  her  arms  round  the  girl's 
neck,  drew  her  close  to  her,  and  kissed  her  warmly. 

Rabda  then  drew  a  piece  of  paper  and  a  pencil  from 
her  dress  and  handed  them  to  her.  She  wrote: 

"  Thanks  a  thousand  times,  dear  friend;  I  will  follow 
your  instructions.  Please  send  me  if  you  can  some  quick 
and  deadly  poison,  that  I  may  take  in  the  last  extremity. 
Do  not  fear  that  I  will  flinch  from  applying  the  things  you 
have  sent  me.  I  would  not  hesitate  to  swallow  them  were 
there  no  other  hope  of  escape.  I  rejoice  so  much  to  know 
that  you  have  escaped  from  that  terrible  attack  last 
night.  Did  Wilson  alone  get  away?  Do  you  know  they 
murdered  my  uncle  and  all  the  others  in  the  boat,  except 
Mrs.  Hunter  and  Mary?  Pray  do  not  run  any  risks  to 
try  and  rescue  me.  I  think  that  I  am  safe  now,  and  will 
make  myself  so  hideous  that  if  the  wretch  once  sees  me 
he  will  never  want  to  see  me  again.  As  to  death,  I  have 
no  fear  of  it.  If  we  do  not  meet  again,  God  bless  you. 
"  Yours  most  gratefully, 

"  ISOBEL." 


322  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

Kabda  concealed  the  note  in  her  garment,  and  then 
motioned  to  Isobel  that  she  should  close  her  eyes  and 
pretend  to  be  asleep.  Then  she  gently  drew  back  the 
curtains  and  seated  herself  at  a  distance  from  the  couch. 

Half  an  hour  later  the  mistress  of  the  zenana  came 
in.  Eabda  rose  and  put  her  finger  to  her  lips  and  left  the 
room,  accompanied  by  the  woman. 

"  She  is  asleep,"  she  said;  "  do  not  be  afraid,  the 
potion  will  do  its  work.  Leave  her  alone  all  night. 
When  she  wakes  in  the  morning  she  will  be  wild  with 
fever,  and  you  need  have  no  fear  that  the  Kajah  will  seek 
to  make  her  the  queen  of  his  zenana." 


CHAPTER  XX. 

PREPARED  as  the  mistress  of  the  zenana  was  to  find  a 
great  change  in  the  captive's  appearance,  she  was  startled 
when,  soon  after  daybreak,  she  went  in  to  see  her.  The 
lower  part  of  her  face  was  greatly  swollen,  her  lips  were 
covered  with  white  blotches.  There  were  great  red  scars 
round  the  mouth  and  on  her  forehead,  and  the  skin 
seemed  to  have  been  completely  eaten  away.  There  were 
even  larger  and  deeper  marks  on  her  neck  and  shoulders, 
which  were  partly  uncovered,  as  if  by  her  restless  tossing. 
Her  hands  and  arms  were  similarly  marked.  She  took 
no  notice  of  her  entrance,  but  talked  to  herself  as  she 
tossed  restlessly  on  the  couch. 

There  was  but  little  acting  in  this,  for  Isobel  was 
suffering  an  agony  of  pain.  She  had  used  the  acid  much 
more  freely  than  she  had  been  instructed  to  do,  de- 
termined that  the  disfigurement  should  be  complete.  All 
night  she  had  been  in  a  state  of  high  fever,  and  had  for  a 
time  been  almost  delirious.  She  was  but  slightly  more 
easy  now,  and  had  difficulty  in  preventing  herself  from 
crying  out  from  the  torture  she  was  suffering. 

There  was  no  tinge  of  pity  in  the  face  of  the  woman 
who  looked  at  her,  but  a  smile  of  satisfaction  at  the 
manner  in  which  the  potion  had  done  its  work. 

"  The  Nana  can  see  her  now,"  she  said  to  herself; 
**  there  will  be  no  change  in  the  arrangements  here." 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER.  325 

She  at  once  sent  out  word  that  as  soon  as  the  Rajah 
was  up  he  was  to  be  told  that  she  begged  him  to  come 
at  once. 

An  hour  later  he  came  to  the  door  of  the  zenana. 

"  What  is  it,  Poomba?  "  he  asked;  "  nothing  the  matter 
with  Miss  Hannay,  I  hope?" 

"I  grieve  to  say,  your  highness,  that  she  has  been 
seized  with  some  terrible  disease.  I  know  not  what  it 
is,  for  never  did  I  see  a  woman  so  smitten.  It  must  be 
an  illness  contracted  from  confinement  and  bad  air  "dur- 
ing the  siege,  some  illness  that  the  Europeans  have,  for 
never  did  I  see  aught  like  it.  She  is  in  a  high  state  of 
fever,  and  her  face  is  in  a  terrible  state.  It  must  be  a 
sort  of  plague." 

"You  have  been  poisoning  her/'  the  Nana  said 
roughly;  "  if  so,  beware,  for  your  life  shall  be  the  forfeit. 
I  will  see  her  for  myself." 

"  She  has  had  no  poison  since  she  came  here,  though 
I  know  not  but  what  she  may  have  had  poison  about  her, 
and  may  have  taken  it  after  she  was  captured." 

"Take  me  to  her,"  the  Kajah  said.  "I  will  see  for 
myself." 

"  It  may  be  a  contagious  disease,  your  highness.  It 
were  best  that  you  should  not  go  near  her." 

The  Kajah  made  an  impatient  gesture,  and  the  woman, 
without  another  word,  led  him  into  the  room  where  Iso- 
bel  was  lying.  The  Nana  was  prepared  for  some  disfig- 
urement of  the  face  he  had  so  admired,  but  he  shrank 
back  from  the  reality. 

"  It  is  horrible,"  he  said,  in  a  low  voice.  "  What  have 
you  been  doing  to  her?"  he  asked,  turning  furiously  to 
the  woman. 

"  I  have  done  nothing,  your  highness.  All  day  yes- 
terday she  lay  in  a  torpor,  as  I  told  you  in  the  evening 
when  you  inquired  about  her,  and  I  thought  then  she  was 
going  to  be  ill.  I  have  watched  her  all  night.  She  has 
been  restless  and  disturbed,  but  I  thought  it  better  not 
to  go  nearer  lest  I  should  wake  her,  and  it  was  not  until 
this  morning,  when  the  day  broke,  that  I  perceived  this 
terrible  change.  What  shall  we  do  with  her?  If  the  dis- 
ease is  contagious,  everyone  in  the  palace  may  catch  it/* 


824  RVJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

"Have  a  closed  palanquin  brought  to  the  door,  wrap 
her  up,  and  have  her  carried  down  to  the  Subada  Ke 
Kothee.  Let  her  give  it  to  the  women  there.  Burn  all 
the  things  in  this  room,  and  everything  that  has  been 
worn  by  those  who  have  entered  it.  I  will  inquire  into 
this  matter  later  on,  and  should  I  find  that  there  has 
been  any  foul  play,  those  concerned  in  it  shall  wish  they 
had  never  been  born." 

As  soon  as  he  had  left  the  woman  called  Eabda  in. 

"  All  has  gone  well/'  she  said;  "  your  father's  philter 
is  powerful  indeed.  Tell  him  whenever  he  needs  any 
service  I  can  render  he  has  but  to  ask  it.  Look  at  her; 
did  you  ever  see  one  so  disfigured?  The  Eajah  has  seen 
her,  and  is  filled  with  loathing.  She  is  to  be  sent  to  the 
Subada  Ke  Kothee.  Are  you  sure  that  the  malady  is  not 
contagious?  I  have  persuaded  the  Eajah  that  it  is; 
that  is  why  he  is  sending  her  away." 

"I  am  sure  it  is  not,"  Eabda  said;  "it  is  the  result 
of  the  drugs.  It  is  terrible  to  see  her;  give  me  some  ccol- 
ing  ointment." 

"  What  does  it  matter  about  her  now  that  she  is  harm- 
less? "  Poomba  said  scornfully.  Being,  however,  desirous 
of  pleasing  Eabda,  she  went  away  and  brought  a  pot  of 
ointment,  which  the  girl  applied  to  the  sores,  the  tears 
falling  down  her  cheeks  as  she  did  so. 

The  salve  at  once  afforded  relief  from  the  burning 
pain,  and  Isobel  gratefully  took  a  drink  prepared  from 
fresh  limes. 

She  had  only  removed  her  gown  when  she  had  lain, 
down,  having  done  this  in  order  that  it  should  not  be 
burned  by  the  acid,  and  that  her  neck  and  shoulders  might 
be  seen,  and  the  belief  induced  that  this  strange  eruption 
was  all  over  her.  Eabda  made  signs  for  her  to  put  it  on 
again,  and  pointing  in  the  direction  of  Cawnpore,  re- 
peated the  word  several  times,  and  Isobel  felt  with  a 
thrill  of  intense  thankfulness  that  the  stratagem  had 
succeeded,  and  that  she  was  to  be  sent  away  at  once, 
probably  to  the  place  where  the  other  prisoners  were  con- 
fined. Presently  the  woman  returned. 

"  Eabda,  you  had  best  go  with  her.  It  were  well  that 
you  should  leave  for  the  present.  The  Eajah  is  sna- 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  325 

picious;  he  may  come  back  again  and  ask  questions;  and 
as  he  knows  you  by  sight,  and  as  you  told  me  your  father 
was  in  disfavor  with  him  at  present,  he  might  suspect 
that  you  were  in  some  way  concerned  in  the  matter." 

"  I  will  go,"  Eabda  said.  "  I  am  sorry  she  has  suffered 
so  much.  I  did  not  think  the  potion  would  have  been 
so  strong.  Give  me  a  netful  of  fresh  limes  and  some 
cooling  lotion,  that  I  may  leave  with  her  there." 

In  a  few  minutes  a  woman  came  up  to  say  that  the 
palanquin  was  in  readiness  at  the  gate  of  the  zenana 
garden.  A  large  cushion  was  taken  off  a  divan,  and 
Isobel  was  laid  upon  it  and  covered  with  a  light  shawl. 
Six  of  the  female  attendants  lifted  it  and  carried  it 
downstairs,  accompanied  by  Rabda  and  the  mistress  of 
the  zenana,  both  closely  veiled.  Outside  the  gate  was  a 
large  palanquin,  with  its  bearers  and  four  soldiers  and 
an  officer.  The  cushion  was  lifted  and  placed  in  the 
palanquin,  and  Eabda  also  took  her  place  there. 

"  Then  you  will  not  return  to-day,"  the  woman  said 
to  her,  in  a  voice  loud  enough  to  be  heard  by  the  officers. 
"  You  will  remain  with  her  for  a  time,  and  afterwards 
go  to  see  your  friends  in  the  town.  I  will  send  for  you 
when  I  hear  that  you  wish  to  return." 

The  curtains  of  the  palanquin  were  drawn  down;  the 
bearers  lifted  it  and  started  at  once  for  Cawnpore. 

On  arrival  at  the  large  building  known  as  the  Subada 
Ke  Kothee  the  gates  were  opened  at  once  at  the  order 
of  the  Nana's  officer,  and  the  palanquin  was  carried 
across  the  courtyard  to  the  door  of  the  building  which 
was  used  as  a  prison  for  the  white  women  and  children. 
It  was  taken  into  the  great  arched  room  and  set  down. 
Rabda  stepped  out,  and  the  bearers  lifted  out  the  cush- 
ion upon  which  Isobel  lay. 

"  You  will  not  be  wanted  any  more,"  Rabda  said,  in  a 
tone  of  authority.  "  You  can  return  to  Bithoor  at  once." 

•As  the  door  closed  behind  them  several  of  the  ladies 
came  round  to  see  this  fresh  arrival.  Rabda  looked 
round  till  her  eye  fell  upon  Mrs.  Hunter,  who  was  occu- 
pied in  trying  to  hush  a  fractious  child.  She  put  her 
hand  on  her  arm  and  motioned  to  her  to  come  along. 
Surprised  at  the  summons,  Mrs.  Hunter'  followed  her. 


S26  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

When  they  reached  the  cushion  Rabda  lifted  the  shawl 
from  Isobel's  face.  For  a  moment  Mrs.  Hunter  failed  to 
recognize  her,  but  as  Isobel  opened  her  eyes  and  held  out 
her  hand  she  knew  her,  and  with  a  cry  of  pity  she  dropped 
on  her  knees  beside  her. 

"  My  poor  child,  what  have  these  fiends  been  doing  to 
you?" 

"  They  have  been  doing  nothing,  Mrs.  Hunter,"  she 
whispered.  "  I  am  not  so  bad  as  I  seem,  though  I  have 
suffered  a  great  deal  of  pain.  I  was  carried  away  to 
Bithoor,  to  Nana  Sahib's  zenana,  and  I  have  burnt  my 
face  with  caustic  and  acid;  they  think  I  have  some  terri- 
ble disease,  and  have  sent  me  here." 

"Bravely  done,  girl!  Bravely  and  nobly  done!  We 
had  best  keep  the  secret  to  ourselves;  there  are  constantly 
men  looking  through  the  bars  of  the  window,  and  some  of 
them  may  understand  English." 

Then  she  looked  up  and  said,  "  It  is  Miss  Hannay,  she 
was  captured  with  us  in  the  boats;  please  help  me  to 
carry  her  over  to  the  wall  there,  and  my  daughter  and  I 
will  nurse  her;  it  looks  as  if  she  had  been  terribly  burnt, 
somehow." 

Many  of  the  ladies  had  met  Isobel  in  the  happy  days 
before  the  troubles  began,  and  great  was  the  pity  ex- 
pressed at  her  appearance.  She  was  carried  to  the  side 
of  the  wall,  where  Mary  and  Mrs.  Hunter  at  once  made 
her  as  comfortable  as  they  could.  Rabda,  who  had  now- 
thrown  back  her  veil,  produced  from  under  her  dress  the 
net  containing  some  fifty  small  limes,  and  handed  to  Mrs. 
Hunter  the  pot  of  ointment  and  the  lotion. 

"  She  has  saved  me,"  Isobel  said;  "  it  is  the  daughter 
of  the  juggler  who  performed  at  your  house,  Mrs.  Hun- 
ter; do  thank  her  for  me,  and  tell  her  how  grateful  I 
am." 

Mrs.  Hunter  took  Kabda's  hand,  and  in  her  own  lan- 
guage thanked  her  for  her  kindness  to  Isobel. 

"  I  have  done  as  I  was  told,"  Rabda  said  simply;  "  the 
Sahib  Bathurst  saved  my  life,  and  when  he  said  the  lady 
must  be  rescued  from  the  hands  of  the  Nana,  it  was  only 
right  that  I  should  do  so,  even  at  the  risk  of  my  life." 

"  So  Bathurst  has  escaped,"  Mre.  Hunter  said,  turning 


RUJUB,   THE  JUaGLER.  327 

to  Isobel.  "  I  am  glad  of  that,  dear;  I  was  afraid  that  all 
were  gone." 

**  Yes,  I  had  a  note  from  him;  it  is  by  his  means  that  I 
got  away  from  Bithoor.  He  sent  me  the  caustic  and  acid 
to  burn  my  face.  He  told  me  Mr.  Wilson  had  also  es- 
caped, and  perhaps  some  others  may  have  got  away, 
though  he  did  not  seem  to  know  it." 

K  But  surely  there  could  be  no  occasion  to  burn  your- 
self as  badly  as  you  have  done,  Isobel." 

"I  am  afraid  I  did  put  on  too  much  acid,"  she  said. 
"  I  was  so  afraid  of  not  burning  it  enough;  but  it  does  not 
matter,  it  does  not  pain  me  nearly  so  much  since  I  put  on 
that  ointment;  it  will  soon  get  well." 

'Mrs.  Hunter  shook  her  head  regretfully., 

"  I  am  afraid  it  will  leave  marks  for  a  long  time." 

"  That  is  of  no  consequence  at  all,  Mrs.  Hunter;  I  am 
so  thankful  at  being  here  with  you,  that  I  should  mind 
very  little  if  I  knew  that  it  was  always  to  be  as  bad  as  it 
ia  now.  What  does  it  matter?" 

"  It  does  not  matter  at  all  at  present,  my  dear;  but  if 
you  ever  get  out  of  this  horrible  place,  some  day  you  may 
think  differently  about  it." 

"  I  must  go  now,"  Kabda  said.  "  Has  the  lady  any 
message  to  send  to  the  sahib?"  and  she  again  handed  a 
paper  and  pencil  to  Isobel. 

The  girl  took  them,  hesitating  a  little  before  writing: 

"  Thank  God  you  have  saved  me.  Some  day,  perhaps,  I 
may  be  able  to  tell  you  how  grateful  I  am;  but,  if  not, 
you  will  know  that  if  the  worst  happens  to  us,  I  shall  die 
blessing  you  for  what  you  have  done  for  me.  Pray  do 
mot  linger  longer  in  Cawnpore.  You  may  be  discovered; 
and  if  I  am  spared,  it  would  embitter  my  life  always  to 
kaaow  that  it  had  cost  you  yours.  God  bless  you  always. 

"  Yours  gratefully, 

"  ISOBEL." 

She  folded  up  the  paper  and  gave  it  to  Rabda,  who 
took  her  hand  and  kissed  it;  and  then,  drawing  her  veil 
again  over  her  face,  went  to  the  door,  which  stood  open 
for  the  moment. 


328  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

Some  men  were  bringing  in  a  large  cauldron  of  rice. 
The  sentries  offered  no  opposition  to  her  passing  ont,  as 
the  officer  with  the  palanquin  had  told  them  that  a  lady 
of  the  Rajah's  zenana  would  leave  shortly.  A  similar 
message  had  been  given  to  the  officer  at  the  main  gate, 
who,  however,  requested  to  see  her  hand  and  arm.  to 
satisfy  him  that  all  was  right.  This  was  sufficient  to 
assure  him  that  it  was  not  a  white  woman  passing  out 
in  disguise,  and  Eabda  at  once  proceeded  to  her  father's 
house. 

As  she  expected,  he  and  Bathurst  were  away,  for  she 
had  arranged  to  meet  them  at  eight  o'clock  in  the  garden. 
They  did  not  return  until  eleven,  having  waited  two 
hours  for  her,  and  returning  home  in  much  anxiety  at 
her  non-appearance. 

"What  has  happened?  Why  did  you  not  meet  us, 
Rabda?  "  her  father  exclaimed,  as  he  entered. 

Eabda  rapidly  repeated  the  incidents  that  had  hap- 
pened since  she  had  parted  from  him  the  evening  before, 
and  handed  to  Bathurst  the  two  notes  she  had  received 
from  Isobel. 

"  Then  she  is  in  safety  with  the  others! "  he  exclaimed 
in  delight.  "  Thank  God  for  that,  and  thank  you,  Rabda, 
indeed,  for  what  you  have  done." 

"  My  life  is  my  lord's,"  the  girl  said  quietly.  "  What 
I  have  done  is  nothing." 

"  If  we  had  but  known,  Rujub,  that  she  would  be  moved 
at  once,  we  might  have  rescued  her  on  the  way." 

Rujub  shook  his  head. 

"  There  are  far  too  many  people  along  the  road,  sahib; 
it  could  not  have  been  done.  But,  of  course,  there  was 
no  knowing  that  she  would  be  sent  off  directly  after  the 
Nana  had  seen  her." 

"Is  she  much  disfigured,  Rabda?"  Bathurst  asked. 

"Dreadfully,"  the  girl  said  sorrowfully.  "The  acid 
must  have  been  too  strong." 

"It  was  strong,  no  doubt,"  Bathurst  said;  "but  if  she 
had  put  it  on  as  I  instructed  her  it  could  only  have 
burnt  the  surface  of  the  skin." 

"It  has  burnt  her  dreadfully,  sahib;  even  I  should 
hardly  have  known  her-  She  must  be  brave  indeed  to 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER.  329 

have  done  it.  She  must  have  suffered  dreadfully;  but  I 
obtained  some  ointment  for  her,  and  she  was  better  when 
I  left  her.  She  is  with  the  wife  of  the  Sahib  Hunter." 

"  Now,  Rabda,  see  if  the  meal  is  prepared,"  Rujub 
said.  "  We  are  both  hungry,  and  you  can  have  eaten 
nothing  this  morning." 

He  then  left  the  room,  leaving  Bathurst  to  read  the 
letters  which  he  still  held  in  his  hand,  feeling  that  they 
were  too  precious  to  be  looked  at  until  he  was  alone. 

It  was  some  time  before  Rabda  brought  in  his  break- 
fast, and,  glancing  at  him,  she  saw  how  deeply  he  had 
been  moved  by  the  letters.  She  went  up  to  him  and 
placed  her  hand  on  his  shoulder. 

"  We  will  get  her  for  you,  sahib.  We  have  been  suc- 
cessful so  far,  be  assured  that  we  shall  succeed  again. 
What  we  have  done  is  more  difficult  than  what  we  have 
to  do.  It  is  easier  to  get  twenty  prisoners  from  a  jail 
than  one  from  a  rajah's  zenana." 

"That  is  true  enough,  Rabda.  At  the  moment  I  was 
not  thinking  of  that,  but  of  other  things." 

He  longed  for  sympathy,  but  the  girl  would  not  have 
understood  him  had  he  told  her  his  feelings.  To  her  he 
was  a  hero,  and  it  would  have  seemed  to  her  folly  had  he 
said  that  he  felt  himself  altogether  unworthy  of  Isobel 
Hannay.  After  he  had  finished  his  breakfast  Rujub 
again  came  in. 

"  What  does  the  sahib  intend  to  do  now?  "  he  asked. 

"  As  far  as  I  can  see  there  is  nothing  to  do  at  present, 
Rujub,"  he  said.  "When  the  white  troops  come  up  she 
will  be  delivered." 

"  Then  will  my  lord  go  down  to  Allahabad?  " 

"  Certainly  not.  There  is  no  saying  what  may 
happen." 

"That  is  so,"  Rujub  agreed.  "The  white  women  are 
safe  at  present,  but  if,  as  the  Sahib  thinks,  the  white 
soldiers  should  beat  the  troops  of  the  Nana,  who  can  say 
what  will  happen?  The  people  will  be  wild  with  rage, 
the  Nana  will  be  furious — he  is  a  tiger  who,  having  once 
laid  his  paw  on  a  victim,  will  not  allow  it  to  be  torn 
from  him." 

"He  can  never  allow  them  to  be  injured,"  Bathurst 


330  RUJUB..  THE  JUGGLER. 

said.  "  It  is  possible  that  as  our  troops  advance  he  may 
carry  them  all  off  as  hostages,  and  by  the  threat  of 
killing  them  may  make  terms  for  his  own  life,  but  ke 
would  never  venture  to  carry  out  his  threats.  You  think 
he  would  ?  "  he  asked. 

Eujub  remained  silent  for  a  minute. 

"I  think  so,  sahib;  the  Nana  is  an  ambitious  man;  be 
had  wealth  and  everything  most  men  would  desire  to 
make  life  happy,  but  he  wanted  more:  he  thought  that 
when  the  British  Kai  was  destroyed  he  would  rule  over 
the  territories  of  the  Peishwa,  and  be  one  of  the  greatest 
lords  of  the  land.  He  has  staked  everything  on  that;  if 
he  loses,  he  has  lost  all.  He  knows  that  after  the  breach 
of  his  oath  and  the  massacre  here,  there  is  no  pardon 
for  him.  He  is  a  tiger — and  a  wounded  tiger  is  most 
dangerous.  If  he  is,  as  you  believe  he  will  be,  defeated,  I 
believe  his  one  thought  will  be  of  revenge.  Every  day 
brings  news  of  fresh  risings.  Scindia's  army  will  join 
us;  Holkar's  will  probably  follow.  All  Oude  is  rising 
in  arms.  A  large  army  is  gathering  at  Delhi.  Even  if 
the  Nana  is  defeated  here  all  will  not  be  lost.  He  has 
twenty  thousand  men;  there  are  well-nigh  two  hundred 
thousand  in  arms  round  Lucknow  alone.  My  belief  is 
that  if  beaten  his  first  thought  will  be  to  take  revenge 
at  once  on  the  Feringhees,  and  to  make  his  name  terri- 
ble, and  that  he  will  then  go  off  with  his  army  to  Luck- 
now  or  Delhi,  where  he  would  be  received  as  one  who 
has  dared  more  than  all  others  to  defy  the  whites,  who 
has  no  hope  of  pardon,  and  can,  therefore,  be  relied  upon 
above  all  others  to  fight  to  the  last." 

"  It  may  be  so,  Rujub,  though  I  can  scarce  believe  that 
there  exists  a  monster  who  would  give  orders  for  the 
murder  of  hundreds  of  women  and  children  in  cold  blood : 
but,  at  any  rate,  I  will  remain  and  watch.  We  will 
decide  upon  what  will  be  the  best  plan  to  rescue  her 
from  the  prison,  if  we  hear  that  evil  is  intended;  but,  if 
not,  I  can  remain  patiently  until  our  troops  arrive.  I 
know  the  Subada  Ke  Kothee;  it  is,  if  I  remember  right,  a 
large  quadrangle  with  no  windows  on  the  outside." 

"  That  is  so,  sahib;  it  is  a  strong  place,  and  difficult 
indeed  to  get  into  or  out  of.  There  is  only  the  main 


RUJVB,  THE  JUGGLER.  331 

gate,  which  is  guarded  at  night  by  two  sentries  outside, 
and  there  is  doubtless  a  strong  guard  within." 

"  I  would  learn  whether  the  same  regiment  always 
furnishes  the  guard;  if  so,  it  might  be  possible  to  bribe 
them." 

"  I  am  afraid  it  would  be  too  dangerous  to  try.  There 
are  scores  of  men  in  Cawnpore  who  would  cut  a  throat 
for  a  rupee,  but  when  it  comes  to  breaking  open  a  prison, 
to  carry  off  one  of  these  white  women  whom  they  hate,  it 
would  be  too  dangerous  to  try." 

"  Could  you  not  do  something  with  your  art,  Rujub?  " 

"  If  there  were  only  the  outside  sentries  it  would  be 
easy  enough,  sahib.  I  could  send  them  to  sleep  with  a 
wave  of  my  hand,  but  I  could  not  affect  the  men  inside, 
whom  I  do  not  know  even  by  sight.  Besides,  in  addition 
to  the  soldiers  who  guard  the  gate,  there  will  be  the  men 
who  have  been  told  off  to  look  after  the  prisoners.  It 
will  require  a  great  deal  of  thinking  over,  sahib,  but  I 
believe  we  shall  manage  it.  I  shall  go  to-morrow  to 
Bithoor  and  show  myself  boldly  to  the  Nana.  He  knows 
that  I  have  done  good  service  to  him,  and  his  anger  will 
have  cooled  down  by  this  time,  and  he  will  listen  to  what 
I  have  to  say.  It  will  be  useful  to  us  for  me  to  be  able  to 
go  in  and  out  of  the  palace  at  will,  and  so  learn  the  first 
news  from  those  about  him.  It  is  most  important  that 
we  should  know  if  he  has  evil  intentions  towards  the  cap- 
tives, so  that  we  may  have  time  to  carry  out  our  plans." 

"  Very  well,  Eujub.  You  do  not  expect  me  to  remain 
indoors,  I  hope,  for  I  should  wear  myself  out  if  I  were 
obliged  to  wait  here  doing  nothing." 

"No,  sahib;  it  will  be  perfectly  safe  for  you  to  go 
about  just  as  you  are,  and  I  can  get  you  any  other  disguise 
you  like.  You  will  gather  what  is  said  in  the  town,  can 
listen  to  the  Sepoys,  and  examine  the  Subada  Ke  Kothee. 
If  you  like  I  will  go  there  with  you  now.  My  daughter 
shall  come  with  us;  she  may  be  useful,  and  will  be  glad  to 
be  doing  something." 

They  went  out  from  the  city  towards  the  prison-house, 
which  stood  in  an  open  space  round  which  were  several 
other  buildings,  some  of  them  surrounded  with  gardens 
and  walls. 


332  RUJUB.  THE  JUGGLER. 

The  Subada  Ke  Kothee  was  a  large  building,  forming 
three  sides  of  a  square,  a  strong  high  wall  forming  the 
fourth  side.  It  was  low,  with  a  flat  roof.  There  were  no 
windows  or  openings  in  the  outside  wall,  the  chambers 
all  facing  the  courtyard.  Two  sentries  were  at  the  gate. 
They  were  in  the  red  Sepoy  uniform,  and  Bathurst  saw  at 
once  how  much  the  bonds  of  discipline  had  been  relaxed. 
Both  had  leaned  their  muskets  against  the  wall;  one  was 
squatted  on  the  ground  beside  his  firearm,  and  the  other 
was  talking  with  two  or  three  natives  of  his  acquaintance. 
The  gates  were  closed. 

As  they  watched,  a  native  officer  came  up.  He  stood 
for  a  minute  talking  with  the  soldiers.  By  his  gesticu- 
lations it  could  be  seen  he  was  exceedingly  angry,  and 
the  men  took  their  muskets  and  began  to  walk  up  and 
down.  Then  the  officer  knocked  at  the  gate.  Instead  of 
its  being  opened,  a  man  appeared  at  a  loophole  in  the 
gate  tower,  and  the  officer  handed  to  him  a  paper.  A 
minute  later  the  gate  was  opened  sufficiently  for  him  to 
pass  in,  and  was  then  closed  behind  him. 

"  They  are  evidently  pretty  strict,"  Bathurst  said.  "  I 
don't  think,  Rujub,  there  is  much  chance  of  our  doing 
anything  there." 

Rujub  shook  his  head.  "No,  sahib,  it  is  clear  they 
have  strict  orders  about  opening  and  shutting  the  gate." 

"  It  would  not  be  very  difficult  to  scale  the  wall  of  the 
house,"  Bathurst  said,  "with  a  rope  and  a  hook  at  its 
end;  but  that  is  only  the  first  step.  The  real  difficulty 
lies  in  getting  the  prison  room  open  in  the  first  place — 
for  no  doubt  they  are  locked  up  at  night — and  in  the 
second  getting  her  out  of  it,  and  the  building." 

"  You  could  lower  her  down  from  the  top  of  the  wall, 
sahib." 

"  Yes,  if  one  could  get  her  out  of  the  room  they  are 
confined  in  without  making  the  slightest  stir,  but  it  is 
almost  too  much  to  hope  that  one  could  be  able  to  do 
that.  The  men  in  charge  of  them  are  likely  to  keep  a 
close  watch,  for  they  know  that  their  heads  would  pay 
for  any  captive  they  allowed  to  escape." 

"  I  don't  think  they  will  watch  much,  sahib;  they  will 
not  believe  that  any  of  the  women,  broken  down  as  they 


RUJUB.  THE  JUGGLER.  333 

must  be  by  trouble,  would  attempt  such  a  thing,  for  even 
if  they  got  out  of  the  prison  itself  and  then  made  their 
escape  from  the  building,  they  would  be  caught  before 
they  could  go  far." 

"Where  does  the  prison-house  lie,  Rabda?"  Bathurst 
asked. 

"  It  is  on  the  left-hand  side  as  you  enter  the  gate;  it 
is  the  farthest  door.  Along  that  side  most  of  the  build- 
ings— which  have  been  used  for  storehouses,  I  should  say, 
or  perhaps  for  the  guards  when  the  place  was  a  palace — 
have  two  floors,  one  above  the  other.  But  this  is  a  large 
vaulted  room  extending  from  the  ground  to  the  roof;  it 
has  windows  with  iron  gratings;  the  door  is  very  strong 
and  heavy." 

"  And  now,  sahib,  we  can  do  nothing  more,"  Eujub 
said.  "  I  will  return  home  with  Rabda,  and  then  go  over 
to  Bithoor." 

"  Very  well,  Rujub,  I  will  stay  here,  and  hear  what 
people  are  talking  about." 

There  were  indeed  a  considerable  number  of  people 
near  the  building:  the  fact  that  the  white  prisoners  were 
within  seemed  to  exercise  a  fascination,  and  even  women 
brought  their  children  and  sat  on  the  banks  which 
marked  where  gardens  had  once  been,  and  talked  of  the 
white  captives.  Bathurst  strolled  about  among  the 
groups  of  Sepoys  and  townspeople.  The  former  talked 
in  loud  tones  of  the  little  force  that  had  already  started 
from  Allahabad,  and  boasted  how  easily  they  would  eat 
up  the  Feringhees.  It  seemed,  however,  to  Bathurst  that 
a  good  deal  of  this  confidence  was  assumed,  and  that 
among  some,  at  least,  there  was  an  undercurrent  of  doubt 
and  uneasiness,  though  they  talked  as  loudly  and  boldly 
as  their  companions. 

The  townspeople  were  of  two  classes:  there  were  the 
budmashes  or  roughs  of  the  place,  who  uttered  brutal 
and  ferocious  jokes  as  to  the  probable  fate  of  the  white 
women.  There  were  others  who  kept  in  groups  apart  and 
talked  in  low  voices.  These  were  the  traders,  to  whom 
the  events  that  had  taken  place  foreboded  ruin.  Already 
most  of  the  shops  had  been  sacked,  and  many  of  the 
principal  inhabitants  murdered  by  the  mob.  Those  who 


334  RVJDB,  THE  JUQQLER. 

had  so  far  escaped,  thanks  in  some  instances  to  the  pro- 
tection afforded  them  by  Sepoy  officers,  saw  that  their 
trade  was  ruined,  their  best  customers  killed,  and  them- 
selves virtually  at  the  mercy  of  the  mob,  who  might  again 
break  out  upon  the  occasion  of  any  excitement.  These 
were  silent  when  Bathurst  approached  them.  His  attire, 
and  the  arms  so  ostentatiously  displayed  in  his  sash, 
marked  him  as  one  of  the  dangerous  class,  perhaps  a 
prisoners  from  the  jail  whose  doors  had  been  thrown  open 
on  the  first  night  of  the  Sepoy  rising. 

For  hours  Bathurst  remained  in  the  neighborhood  of 
the  prison.  The  sun  set,  and  the  night  came  on.  Then  a 
small  party  of  soldiers  came  up  and  relieved  the  sentries. 
This  time  the  number  of  the  sentries  at  the  gate  was 
doubled,  and  three  men  were  posted,  one  on  each  of  the 
other  sides  of  the  building.  After  seeing  this  done  he 
returned  to  the  house.  After  he  had  finished  his  evening 
meal  Rujub  and  Rabda  came  into  the  room. 

"  Now,  sahib,"  the  former  said,  "  I  think  that  we  can 
tell  you  how  the  lady  is.  Rabda  has  seen  her,  spoken  to 
her,  and  touched  her;  there  is  sympathy  between  them." 
He  seated  Rabda  in  a  chair,  placed  his  hand  on  her  fore- 
head, and  then  drew  the  tips  of  his  fingers  several  times 
slowly  down  her  face.  Her  eyes  closed.  He  took  up  her 
hand,  and  let  it  fall  again.  It  was  limp  and  impassive. 
Then  he  said  authoritatively,  "  Go  to  the  prison."  He 
paused  a  moment. 

"Are  you  there?" 

"  I  am  there,"  she  said. 

"Are  you  in  the  room  where  the  ladies  are?" 

"  I  am  there,"  she  repeated. 

"  Do  you  see  the  lady  Hannay?  " 

"I  see  her." 

"How  is  she?" 

"  She  is  lying  quiet.  The  other  young  lady  is  sitting 
beside  her.  The  lower  part  of  her  face  is  bandaged  np, 
but  I  can  see  that  she  is  not  suffering  as  she  was  this 
morning.  She  looks  quiet  and  happy." 

"  Try  and  speak  to  her.  Say,  t  Keep  up  your  courage, 
we  are  doing  what  we  can.'  Speak,  I  order  you." 

"  I  have  spoken." 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER.  335 

"Did  she  hear  you?" 

"  Yes.  She  has  raised  herself  on  her  arm;  she  is  look- 
ing round;  she  has  asked  the  other  young  lady  if  she 
heard  anything.  The  other  shakes  her  head.  She  heard 
my  words,  but  does  not  understand  them." 

Rujub  looked  at  Bathurst,  who  mechanically  repeated 
the  message  in  English. 

"  Speak  to  her  again.  Tell  her  these  words,"  and 
Rujub  repeated  the  message  in  English. 

"  Does  she  hear  you?  " 

"  She  hears  me.  She  has  clasped  her  hands,  and  is 
looking  round  bewildered." 

"That  wall  do.  Now  go  outside  into  the  yard;  what 
do  you  see  there?  " 

"  I  see  eight  men  sitting  round  a  fire.  One  gets  up  and 
walks  to  one  of  the  grated  windows,  and  looks  in  at  the 
prisoners." 

"It  the  door  locked?" 

"  It  is  locked." 

"Where  is  the  key?" 

She  was  silent  for  some  time. 

"Where  is  the  key?"  he  repeated. 

"  In  the  lock,"  she  said. 

"  How  many  soldiers  are  there  in  the  guardroom  by 
the  gate?" 

*  There  are  no  soldiers  there.  There  are  an  officer  and 
four  men  outside,  but  none  inside." 

"  That  will  do,"  and  he  passed  his  hand  lightly  across 
her  forehead. 

"  Is  it  all  true?  "  Bathurst  asked,  as  the  juggler  turned 
to  him. 

"  Assuredly  it  is  true,  sahib.  Had  I  had  my  daughter 
with  me  at  Deennugghur,  I  could  have  sent  you  a  message 
as  easily;  as  it  was,  I  had  to  trust  only  to  the  power  of 
my  mind  upon  yours.  The  information  is  of  use, 
sahib." 

"It  is  indeed.  It  is  a  great  thing  to  know  that  the 
key  is  left  in  the  lock,  and  also  that  at  night  there  are 
the  prison  keepers  only  inside  the  building." 

"  Does  she  know  what  she  has  been  doing?  "  he  asked, 
as  Rabda  languidly  rose  from  her  chair. 


336  RUJVB,  THE  JVOOLER. 

ft  No,  sahib,  she  knows  nothing  after  she  has  recovered 
from  these  trances." 

"  I  will  watch  to-morrow  night,"  Bathurst  said,  "  and 
see  at  what  hour  the  sentries  are  relieved.  It  is  evident 
that  the  Sepoys  are  not  trusted  to  enter  the  prison,  which 
is  left  entirely  to  the  warders,  the  outside  posts  being 
furnished  by  some  regiment  in  the  lines.  It  is  important 
to  know  the  exact  hour  at  which  the  changes  are  made, 
and  perhaps  you  could  find  out  to-morrow,  Eujub,  who 
these  warders  are;  whether  they  are  permanently  on  duty, 
or  are  relieved  once  a  day/' 

"  I  will  do  that,  sahib;  if  they  are  changed  we  may  be 
able  to  get  at  some  of  them." 

"I  have  no  money/'  Bathurst  said;  "but ** 

"  I  have  money,  sahib,  and  if  they  can  be  bribed,  will 
do  it;  our  caste  is  a  rich  one.  We  sometimes  receive  large 
presents,  and  we  are  everywhere  made  welcome.  We 
have  little  need  of  money.  I  am  wealthy,  and  practice 
my  art  more  because  I  love  it  than  for  gain.  There  are 
few  in  the  land  that  know  the  secrets  that  I  do.  Men 
die  without  having  sons  to  pass  down  their  knowledge; 
thus  it  is  the  number  of  those  who  possess  the  secrets  of 
the  ancient  grows  smaller  every  day.  There  are  hundreds 
of  jugglers,  but  very  few  who  know,  as  I  do,  the  secrets 
of  nature,  and  can  control  the  spirits  of  the  air.  Did 
I  need  greater  wealth  than  I  have,  Eabda  could  discover 
for  me  all  the  hidden  treasures  of  India;  and  I  could 
obtain  them,  guarded  though  they  may  be  by  djins  and 
evil  spirits." 

"Have  you  a  son  to  come  after  you,  Eujub?" 

"  Yes;  he  is  traveling  in  Persia,  to  confer  with  one  or 
two  of  the  great  ones  there  who  still  possess  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  ancient  magicians." 

"By  the  way,  Eujub,  I  have  not  asked  you  how  you 
got  on  with  the  Nana." 

"  It  was  easy  enough,"  the  juggler  said.  "  He  had  lost 
all  interest  in  the  affairs  of  Deennugghur,  and  greeted 
me  at  first  as  if  I  had  just  returned  from  a  journey. 
Then  he  remembered  and  asked  me  suddenly  why  I  had 
disobeyed  his  orders  and  given  my  voice  for  terms  being 
granted  to  the  Feringhees.  I  said  that  I  had  obeyed  his 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

orders;  I  understood  that  what  he  principally  desired 
was  to  have  the  women  here  as  prisoners,  and  that  had 
the  siege  continued  the  Feringhees  would  have  blown 
themselves  into  the  air.  Therefore  the  only  plan  was 
to  make  terms  with  them,  which  would,  in  fact,  place 
them  all  in  his  power,  as  he  would  not  be  bound  by  the 
conditions  granted  by  the  Oude  men.  He  was  satisfied, 
and  said  no  more  about  it,  and  I  am  restored  to  my  posi- 
tion in  his  favor.  Henceforth  we  shall  not  have  to  trust 
to  the  gossip  of  the  bazaars,  but  I  shall  know  what  news 
is  received  and  what  is  going  to  be  done. 

"  Your  people  at  Delhi  have  beaten  back  the  Sepoys 
several  times,  and  at  Lucknow  they  resist  stoutly.  The 
Nana  is  very  angry  that  the  place  has  not  been  taken, 
but  from  what  I  hear  the  intrenchments  there  are  much 
stronger  than  they  were  here,  and  even  here  they  were 
not  taken  by  the  sword,  but  because  the  whites  had  no 
shelter  from  the  guns,  and  could  not  go  to  the  well 
without  exposing  themselves  to  the  fire.  At  Lucknow 
they  have  some  strong  houses  in  the  intrenchments,  and 
no  want  of  anything,  so  they  can  only  be  captured  by 
fighting.  Everyone  says  they  cannot  hold  out  many 
days  longer,  but  that  I  do  not  know.  It  does  not  seem 
to  me  that  there  is  any  hope  of  rescue  for  them,  for  even 
if,  as  you  think,  the  white  troops  should  beat  Nana 
Sahib's  men,  they  never  could  force  their  way  through 
the  streets  of  Lucknow  to  the  intrenchments  there." 

"We  shall  see,  Rujub.  Deennugghur  was  defended 
by  a  mere  handful,  and  at  Lucknow  they  have  half  a 
regiment  of  white  soldiers.  They  may,  for  anything  I 
know,  have  to  yield  to  starvation,  but  I  doubt  whether 
the  mutineers  and  Oude  men.  however  numerous  they 
may  be,  will  carry  the  place  by  assault.  Is  there  any 
news  elsewhere?" 

"None,  sahib,  save  that  the  Feringhees  are  bringing 
down  regiments  from  the  Punjaub  to  aid  those  at  Delhi," 

"The  tide  is  beginning  to  turn,  Rujub;  the  mutineers 
have  done  their  worst,  and  have  failed  to  overthrow  the 
English  Raj.  Now  you  will  see  that  every  day  they  will 
lose  ground.  Fresh  troops  will  pour  up  the  country,  and 
step  by  step  the  mutiny  will  be  crushed  out;  it  is  a  quei- 


338  RUJVB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

tion  of  time  only.  If  you  could  call  up  a  picture  OB 
smoke  of  what  will  be  happening  a  year  hence,  you  would 
gee  the  British  triumphant  everywhere." 

"'  I  cannot  do  that,  sahib;  I  do  not  know  what  would 
appear  on  the  smoke,  and  were  I  to  try,  misfortune  would 
surely  come  upon  me.  When  a  picture  of  the  past  is 
shown  on  the  smoke,  it  is  not  a  past  I  know  of,  but 
.which  one  of  those  present  knows.  I  cannot  always  say 
which  among  them  may  know  it;  it  is  always  a  scene 
that  has  made  a  strong  impression  on  the  mind,  but  more 
than  that  I  do  not  know.  As  to  those  of  the  future,  I 
know  even  less;  it  is  the  work  of  the  power  of  the  air, 
whose  name  I  whisper  to  myself  when  I  pour  out  the 
incense,  and  to  whom  I  pray.  It  is  seldom  that  I  show 
these  pictures;  he  gets  angry  if  called  upon  too  often.  I 
never  do  it  unless  I  feel  that  he  is  propitious." 

"  It  is  beyond  me  altogether,  Eujub;  I  can  understand 
your  p6wer  of  sending  messages,  and  of  your  daughter 
seeing  at  a  distance.  I  have  heard  of  such  things  at 
home;  they  are  called  mesmerism  and  clairvoyance.  It 
is  an  obscure  art;  but  that  some  men  do  possess  the 
power  of  influencing  others  at  a  distance  seems  to  be  un- 
doubted, still  it  is  certainly  never  carried  to  such  perfec- 
tion as  I  see  it  in  your  case." 

"It  could  not  be,"  Eujub  said;  "white  men  eat  too 
much,  and  it  needs  long  fasting  and  mortification  to  fit  a 
man  to  become  a  mystic;  the  spirit  gains  power  as  the 
body  weakens.  The  Feringhees  can  make  arms  that 
shoot  long  distances,  and  carriages  that  travel  faster  than 
the  fastest  horse,  and  great  ships  and  machines.  They 
can  do  many  great  and  useful  things,  but  they  cannot 
do  the  things  that  have  been  done  for  thousands  of  years 
in  the  East.  They  are  tied  too  fast  to  the  earth  to  have 
aught  to  do  with  the  spirits  that  dwell  in  the  air.  A 
learned  Brahmin,  who  had  studied  your  holy  books,  told 
me  that  your  Great  Teacher  said  that  if  you  had  faith  you 
could  move  mountains.  We  could  well-nigh  do  that  if 
it  were  of  use  to  mankind;  but  were  we  to  do  so  merely 
to  show  our  power,  we  should  be  struck  dead.  It  ie 
wrong  even  to  tell  you  these  things;  I  must  say  no  more." 

Fourfdays  passed.     Rujub  went  every  day  for  some 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER.  339 

hours  to  Bithoor,  and  told  Bathurst  that  he  heard  that 
the  British  force,  of  about  fourteen  hundred  whites  and 
five  hundred  Sikhs,  was  pushing  forward  rapidly,  making 
double  marches  each  day. 

"  The  first  fight  will  be  near  Futtehpore,"  he  said; 
"  there  are  fifteen  hundred  Sepoys,  as  many  Oude  tribes- 
men, and  five  hundred  cavalry  with  twelve  guns,  and  they 
are  in  a  very  strong  position,  which  the  British  can  only 
reach  by  passing  along  the  road  through  a  swamp.  It  is 
a  position  that  the  officers  say  a  thousand  men  could 
hold  against  ten  thousand." 

"  You  will  see  that  it  will  not  delay  our  troops  an 
hour,"  Bathurst  said.  "  Do  they  imagine  they  are  going 
to  beat  us,  when  the  numbers  are  but  two  to  one  in  their 
favor?  If  so,  they  will  soon  learn  that  they  are  mis- 
taken." 

The  next  afternoon,  when  Eujub  returned,  he  said, 
"You  were  right,  sahib;  your  people  took  Futtehpore 
after  only  half  an  hour's  fighting.  The  accounts  say 
that  the  Feringhees  came  on  like  demons,  and  that  they 
did  not  seem  to  mind  our  firing  in  the  slightest.  The 
Nana  is  furious,  but  they  still  feel  confident  that  they 
will  succeed  in  stopping  the  Feringhees  at  Dong.  They 
lost  their  twelve  guns  at  Futtehpore,  but  they  have  two 
heavy  ones  at  the  Pandoo  Bridge,  which  sweep  the 
straight  road  leading  to  it  for  a  mile;  and  the  bridge  has 
been  mined,  and  will  be  blown  up  if  the  Feringhees  reach 
it.  But,  nevertheless,  the  Nana  swears  that  he  will  be 
revenged  on  the  captives.  If  you  are  to  rescue  the  lady 
it  must  be  done  to-night,  for  to-morrow  it  may  be  too 
late." 

"  You  surely  do  not  think  he  will  give  orders  for  the 
murder  of  the  women  and  children?  " 

"  I  fear  he  will  do  so,"  Eujub  answered  gloomily. 

Each  day  Bathurst  had  learned  in  the  same  manner 
as  before  what  was  doing  in  the  prison.  Isobel  was  no 
longer  being  nursed;  she  was  assisting  to  nurse  Mary 
Hunter,  who  had,  the  day  after  Isobel  was  transferred 
to  the  prison,  been  attacked  by  fever,  and  was  the  next 
day  delirious.  Eabda's  report  of  the  next  two  days  left 
little  doubt  in  Bathurst's  mind  that  she  was  rapidly 


340  RUJVBi  THE  JVGGLER. 

sinking.  All  the  prisoners  suffered  greatly  from  the 
close  confinement;  many  had  died,  and  the  girl's  descrip- 
tion of  the  scenes  she  witnessed  was  often  interrupted  by 
her  sobs  and  tears. 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

WHILE  Bathurst  was  busying  himself  completing  his 
preparations  for  the  attempt,  Rabda  came  in  with  her 
father. 

"  My  lord,"  she  said,  "  I  tremble  at  the  thought  of 
your  venturing  your  life.  My  life  is  of  no  importance, 
and  it  belongs  to  you.  What  I  would  propose  is  this. 
My  father  will  go  to  Bithoor,  and  will  obtain  an  order 
from  one  of  the  Nana's  officers  for  a  lady  of  the  zenana 
to  visit  the  prisoners.  I  will  go  in  veiled,  as  I  was  on  the 
day  I  went  there.  I  will  change  garments  with  the  lady, 
and  she  can  come  out  veiled,  and  meet  you  outside/' 

"I  would  not  dream  of  such  a  thing,  Rabda.  You 
would  be  killed  to  a  certainty  when  they  discovered  the 
trick.  Even  if  I  would  consent  to  the  sacrifice,  Miss  Han- 
nay  would  not  do  so.  I  am  deeply  grateful  to  you  for 
proposing  it,  but  it  is  impossible.  You  will  see  that, 
with  the  aid  of  your  father,  I  shall  succeed." 

"  I  told  her  that  would  be  your  answer,  sahib,"  Rujub 
saM,  "  but  she  insisted  on  making  the  offer." 

It  was  arranged  that  they  were  to  start  at  nine  o'clock, 
as  it  was  safer  to  make  the  attempt  before  everything 
became  quiet.  Before  starting,  Rabda  was  again  placed 
in  a  trance.  In  reply  to  her  father's  questions,  she  said 
that  Mary  Hunter  was  dead,  and  that  Isobel  was  lying 
down.  She  was  told  to  tell  her  that  in  an  hour  she  was 
to  be  at  the  window  next  to  the  door. 

Rujub  had  found  that  the  men  inside  the  prison  were 
those  who  had  been  employed  as  warders  at  the  jail  be- 
fore the  troubles  began,  and  he  had  procured  for  Bath- 
urst  a  dress  similar  to  that  which  they  wore,  which  was 
a  sort  of  uniform.  He  had  offered,  if  the  attempt  was 
successful,  to  conceal  Isobel  in  his  house  until  the  troops 
reached  Cawnpore,  but  Bathurst  preferred  to  take  her 
<3own  the  country,  upon  the  ground  that  every  house 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER,  341 

Blight  be  searched,  and  that  possibly  before  the  British 
entered  the  town  there  might  be  a  general  sack  of  the 
place  by  the  mob,  and  even  if  this  did  not  take  place 
there  might  be  desperate  house-to-house  fighting  when 
the  troops  arrived.  Rujub  acknowledged  the  danger,  and 
said  that  he  and  his  daughter  would  accompany  them  on 
their  way  down  country,  as  it  would  greatly  lessen  their 
risk  if  two  of  the  party  were  really  natives.  Bathurst 
gratefully  accepted  the  offer,  as  it  would  make  the  jour- 
ney far  more  tolerable  for  Isobel  if  she  had  Eabda  with 
her. 

She  was  to  wait  a  short  distance  from  the  prison  while 
Bathurst  made  the  attempt,  and  was  left  in  a  clump  of 
bushes  two  or  three  hundred  yards  away  from  the  prison. 
Rujub  accompanied  Bathurst.  They  went  along  quietly 
until  within  fifty  yards  of  the  sentry  in  the  rear  of  the 
house,  and  then  stopped.  The  man  was  walking  briskly 
up  and  down.  Rujub  stretched  out  his  arms  in  front  of 
him  with  the  fingers  extended.  Bathurst,  who  had  taken 
his  place  behind  him,  saw  his  muscles  stiffen,  while  there 
was  a  tremulous  motion  of  his  fingers.  In  a  minute  or 
two  the  sentry's  walk  became  slower.  In  a  little  time  it 
ceased  altogether,  and  he  leaned  against  the  wall  as  if 
drowsy;  then  he  slid  down  in  a  sitting  position,  his 
musket  falling  to  the  ground. 

"  You  can  come  along  now/'  Rujub  said;  "  he  is  fast 
asleep,  and  there  is  no  fear  of  his  waking.  He  will  sleep 
till  I  bid  him  wake." 

They  at  once  moved  forward  to  the  wall  of  the  house. 
Bathurst  threw  up  a  knotted  rope,  to  which  was  attached 
a  large  hook,  carefully  wrapped  in  flannel  to  prevent 
noise.  After  three  or  four  attempts  it  caught  on  the 
parapet.  Bathurst  at  once  climbed  up.  As  soon  as  he 
had  gained  the  flat  terrace,  Rujub  followed  him;  they 
then  pulled  up  the  rope,  to  the  lower  end  of  which  a  rope- 
ladder  was  attached,  and  fastened  this  securely;  then  they 
went  to  the  inner  side  of  the  terrace  and  looked  down 
onto  the  courtyard.  Two  men  were  standing  at  one  of 
the  grated  windows  of  the  prison  room,  apparently  look- 
ing in;  six  others  were  seated  round  a  fire  in  the  center 
of  the  court. 


343  RUJVB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

Bathupst  was  about  to  turn  away  when  Eujub  touched 
him  and  pointed  to  the  two  men  at  the  window,  and  then 
stretched  out  his  arms  towards  them.  Presently  they 
turned  and  left  the  window,  and  in  a  leisurely  way  walked 
across  the  court  and  entered  a  room  where  a  light  was 
burning  close  to  the  grate.  For  two  or  three  minutes 
Eujub  stood  in  the  same  position,  then  his  arms  dropped. 

"  They  have  gone  into  the  guard-room  to  sleep,"  he 
said;  "  there  are  two  less  to  trouble  you." 

Then  he  turned  towards  the  group  of  men  by  the  fire 
and  fixed  his  gaze  upon  them.  In  a  short  time  one  of 
them  wrapped  himself  in  his  cloth  and  lay  down.  In  five 
minutes  two  others  had  followed  his  example.  Another 
ten  minutes  passed,  and  then  Kujub  turned  to  Bathurst 
and  said,  "I  cannot  affect  the  other  three;  we  cannot 
influence  everyone." 

"  That  will  do,  Eujub,  it  is  my  turn  now." 

After  a  short  search  they  found  stairs  leading  down 
from  the  terrace,  and  after  passing  through  some  empty 
rooms  reached  a  door  opening  into  the  courtyard. 

"Do  you  stay  here,  Eujub,"  Bathurst  said.  "They 
will  take  me  for  one  of  themselves.  If  I  succeed  without 
noise,  I  shall  come  this  way;  if  not,  we  will  go  out 
through  the  gate,  and  you  had  best  leave  by  the  way  we 
came." 

The  door  was  standing  open,  and  Bathurst,  grasping  a 
heavy  tulwar,  went  out  into  the  courtyard.  Keeping 
close  to  the  house,  he  sauntered  along  until  he  reached 
the  grated  windows  of  the  prison  room.  Three  lamps 
were  burning  within,  to  enable  the  guard  outside  to 
watch  the  prisoners.  He  passed  the  two  first  windows; 
at  the  third  a  figure  was  standing.  She  shrank  back  as 
Bathurst  stopped  before  it. 

"It  is  I,  Miss  Hannay — Bathurst.  Danger  threatens 
you,  and  you  must  escape  at  once.  Eabda  is  waiting  for 
you  outside.  Please  go  to  the  door  and  stand  there  until 
I  open  it.  I  have  no  doubt  that  I  shall  succeed,  but  if 
anything  should  go  wrong,  go  and  lie  down  again  at 
once." 

Without  waiting  for  an  answer,  he  moved  towards  the 
fire. 


RUJUBt  THE  JUGGLER.  343 

"  Is  that  you,  Ahmed?  "  one  of  the  warders  said.  "  We 
all  seem  sleepy  this  evening,  there  is  something  in  the  air; 
I  felt  half  inclined  to  go  off  myself." 

"  It  is  very  hot  to-night,"  Bathurst  replied. 

There  was  something  in  his  voice  unfamiliar  to  the 
man,  and  with  an  exclamation.,  "Who  is  it?"  he  sprang 
to  his  feet.  But  Bathurst  was  now  but  three  paces  away, 
and  with  a  bound  was  upon  him,  bringing  the  tulwar 
down  with  such  force  upon  his  head  that  the  man  fell 
lifeless  without  a  groan.  The  other  two  leaped  up  with 
shouts  of  "  Treachery! "  but  Bathurst  was  upon  them, 
and,  aided  by  the  surprise,  cut  both  down  after  a  sharp 
fight  of  half  a  minute.  Then  he  ran  to  the  prison  door, 
turned  the  key  in  the  lock,  and  opened  it. 

"  Come  !"  he  exclaimed,  "  there  is  no  time  to  be  lost, 
the  guards  outside  have  taken  the  alarm,"  for,  by  this 
time,  there  was  a  furious  knocking  at  the  gate.  "  Wrap 
yourself  up  in  this  native  robe." 

"But  the  others,  Mr.  Bathurst,  can't  you  save  them 
too?" 

"Impossible,"  he  said.  "Even  if  they  got  out,  they 
would  be  overtaken  and  killed  at  once.  Come! "  And 
taking  her  hand,  he  led  her  to  the  gate. 

"  Stand  back  here  so  that  the  gate  will  open  on  you," 
he  said.  Then  he  undid  the  bar,  shouting,  "  Treachery; 
the  prisoners  are  escaping! " 

As  he  undid  the  last  bolt  the  gate  opened  and  the 
soldiers  rushed  in,  firing  at  random  as  they  did  so. 
Bathurst  had  stepped  behind  the  gate  as  it  opened,  and 
as  the  soldiers  ran  up  the  yard  he  took  Isobel's  hand, 
and,  passing  through  the  gate,  ran  with  her  round  the 
building  until  he  reached  the  spot  where  Kabda  was 
awaiting  them.  Half  a  minute  later  her  father  joined 
them. 

"  Let  us  go  at  once,  there  is  no  time  for  talking,"  he 
said.  "We  must  be  cautious,  the  firing  will  wake  the 
whole  quarter; "  for  by  this  time  Icud  shouts  were  being 
raised,  and  men,  hearing  the  muskets  fired,  were  running 
towards  the  gate.  Taking  advantage  of  the  shelter  of 
the  shrubbery  as  much  as  they  could,  they  hurried  on 
until  they  issued  into  the  open  country. 


344  RUJUBt  THE  JUGGLER. 

"Do  you  feel  strong  enough  to  walk  far?"  Bathurst 
asked,  speaking  for  the  first  time  since  they  left  the 
gate. 

"  I  think  so/'  she  said;  "  I  am  not  sure  whether  I  am 
awake  or  dreaming." 

"  You  'are  awake,  Miss  Hannay;  you  are  safe  out  of 
that  terrible  prison." 

"  I  am  not  sure,"  the  girl  said,  speaking  slowly;  "  I 
have  been  strange  since  I  went  there.  I  have  seemed  to 
hear  voices  speaking  to  me,  though  no  one  was  there, 
and  no  one  else  heard  them;  and  I  am  not  sure  whether 
all  this  is  not  fancy  now." 

"  It  is  reality,  Miss  Hannay.  Take  my  hand  and  you 
will  see  that  it  is  solid.  The  voices  you  heard  were  simi- 
lar to  those  I  heard  at  Deennugghur;  they  were  messages 
I  sent  you  by  means  of  Rujub  and  his  daughter." 

"  I  did  think  of  what  you  told  me  and  about  the  jug- 
gler, but  it  seemed  so  strange.  I  thought  that  my  brain 
was  turning  with  trouble;  it  was  bad  enough  at  Deennug- 
ghur, but  nothing  to  what  it  has  been  since  that  dreadful 
day  at  Bithoor.  There  did  not  seem  much  hope  at  Deen- 
nugghur. But  somehow  we  all  kept  up,  and,  desperate  as 
it  seemed,  I  don't  think  we  ever  quite  despaired.  You 
see,  we  all  knew  each  other;  besides,  no  one  could  give 
way  while  the  men  were  fighting  and  working  so  hard  for 
us;  but  at  Cawnpore  there  seemed  no  hope.  There  was 
not  one  woman  there  but  had  lost  husband  or  father. 
Most  of  them  were  indifferent  to  life,  scarcely  ever 
speaking,  and  seeming  to  move  in  a  dream,  while  others 
with  children  sat  holding  them  close  to  them  as  if  they 
dreaded  a  separation  at  any  moment.  There  were  a  few 
who  were  different,  who  moved  about  and  nursed  the 
children  and  sick,  and  tried  to  comfort  the  others,  just 
as  Mrs.  Hunter  did  at  Deennugghur.  There  was  no  cry- 
ing and  no  lamenting.  It  would  have  been  a  relief  if 
anyone  had  eriecl,  it  was  the  stillness  that  was  so  trying; 
when  people  talked  to  each  other  they  did  it  in  a  whisper, 
as  they  do  in  a  room  where  someone  is  lying  dead. 

"You  know  Mary  Hunter  died  yesterday?  Well,  Mrs. 
Hunter  quite  put  aside  her  own  grief  and  tried  to  cheer 
others.  I  told  her  the  last  message  I  received,  and 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER.  S45 

asked  her  to  go  with  me  ii  it  should  be  true.  She  said, 
*  No,  Isobel;  I  don't  know  whether  this  message  is  a 
dream,  or  whether  God  has  opened  a  way  of  escape  for 
you — if  so,  may  He  be  thanked;  but  you  must  go  alone — 
one  might  escape  where  two  could  not.  As  for  me,  I 
shall  wait  here  for  whatever  fate  God  may  send  me.  My 
husband  and  my  children  have  gone  before  me.  I  may 
do  some  good  among  these  poor  creatures,  and  here  I 
shall  stay.  You  are  young  and  full  of  life,  and  have 
many  happy  days  in  store  for  you.  My  race  is  nearly  run 
— even  did  I  wish  for  life,  I  would  not  cumber  you  and 
your  friends;  there  will  be  perils  to  encounter  and 
fatigues  to  be  undergone.  Had  not  Mary  left  us  I  would 
have  sent  her  with  you,  but  God  did  not  will  it  so.  Go, 
therefore,  to  the  window,  dear,  as  you  were  told  by  this 
message  you  think  you  have  received,  but  do  not  be  dis- 
appointed if  no  one  comes.  If  it  turns  out  true,  and 
there  is  a  chance  of  escape,  take  it,  dear,  and  may  God 
be  with  you.'  As  I  stood  at  the  window,  I  could  not  go 
at  once,  as  you  told  me,  to  the  door;  I  had  to  stand  there; 
I  saw  it  all  till  you  turned  and  ran  to  the  door,  and  then 
I  came  to  meet  you." 

"  It  was  a  pity  you  saw  it,"  he  said  gently. 

"Why?  Do  you  think  that,  after  what  I  have  gone 
through,  I  was  shocked  at  seeing  you  kill  three  of  those 
wretches?  Two  months  ago  I  suppose  I  should  have 
thought  it  dreadful,  but  those  two  months  have  changed 
us  altogether.  Think  of  what  we  were  then  and  what  we 
are  now.  There  remain  only  you,  Mrs.  Hunter,  myself, 
and  your  letter  said,  Mr.  Wilson.  Is  he  the  only  one?" 

"  Yes,  so  far  as  we  know." 

"  Only  we  four,  and  all  the  others  gone — Uncle  and 
Mary  and  Amy  and  the  Doolans  and  the  dear  Doctor, 
all  the  children.  Why,  if  the  door  had  been  open,  and  I 
had  had  a  weapon,  I  would  have  rushed  out  to  help  you 
kill.  I  shudder  at  myself  sometimes." 

After  a  pause  she  went  on.  "  Then  none  of  those  in 
the  other  boat  came  to  shore,  Mr.  Bathurst,  except  Mr. 
Wilson?" 

"  I  fear  not.  The  other  boat  sank  directly.  Wilson 
told  me  it  was  sinking  as  he  sprang  over.  You  had 


346  RVJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

better  not  talk  any  more,  Miss  Hannay,  for  you  are  out  of 
breath  now,  and  will  need  all  your  strength." 

"  Yes,  but  tell  me  why  you  have  taken  me  away;  you 
said  there  was  great  danger?  " 

"  Our  troops  are  coming  up,"  he  said,  "  and  I  had 
reason  to  fear  that  when  the  rebels  are  defeated  the  mob 
may  break  open  the  prison." 

"  They  surely  could  not  murder  women  and  children 
who  have  done  them  no  harm! " 

"  There  is  no  saying  what  they  might  do,  Miss  Han- 
nay,  but  that  was  the  reason  why  I  dared  not  leave  you 
where  you  were.  I  will  tell  you  more  about  it  afterwards. 
Now,  please  take  my  arm,  we  must  be  miles  away  from 
here  before  morning.  They  will  find  out  then  that  you 
have  escaped,  and  will  no  doubt  scour  the  country." 

They  had  left  the  road  and  were  passing  through  the 
fields.  IsobeFs  strength  failed  rapidly,  as  soon  as  the 
excitement  that  had  at  firet  kept  her  up  subsided.  Eujub 
several  times  urged  Bathurst  to  go  faster,  but  the  girl 
hung  more  and  more  heavily  on  his  arm. 

"I  can't  go  any  farther,"  she  said  at  last;  "it  is  so 
long  since  I  walked,  and  I  suppose  I  have  got  weak.  I 
have  tried  very  hard,  but  I  can  scarcely  drag  my  feet 
along.  You  had  better  leave  me;  you  have  done  all  you 
could  to  save  me.  I  thank  you  so  much.  Only  please 
leave  a  pistol  with  me.  I  am  not  at  all  afraid  of  dying, 
but  I  will  not  fall  into  their  hands  again." 

"  We  must  carry  her,  Eujub,"  Bathurst  said;  "  she  is 
utterly  exhausted  and  worn  out,  and  no  wonder.  If  we 
could  make  a  sort  of  stretcher,  it  would  be  easy  enough." 

Kujub  took  the  cloth  from  his  shoulders,  and  laid  it 
on  the  ground  by  the  side  of  Isobel,  who  had  now  sunk 
down  and  was  lying  helpless. 

"  Lift  her  onto  this,  sahib,  then  we  will  take  the  four 
corners  and  carry  her;  it  will  be  no  weight." 

Bathurst  lifted  Isobel,  in  spite  of  her  feeble  protest, 
and  laid  her  on  the  cloth. 

"  I  will  take  the  two  corners  by  her  head,"  Bathurst 
said,  "  if  you  will  each  take  one  of  the  others." 

"  No,  sahib,  the  weight  is  all  at  the  head;  you  take  one 
corner,  and  I  will  take  the  other.  Eabda  can  take  the 


RUJUB,  TEE  JUGGLER.  34? 

two  corners  at  the  feet.  We  can  change  about  when  we 
like." 

Isobel  had  lost  greatly  in  weight  since  the  siege  of 
Deennugghur  began,  and  she  was  bnt  a  light  burden  for 
her  three  bearers,  who  started  with  her  at  a  speed  consid- 
erably greater  than  that  at  which  she  had  walked. 

"Which  way  are  you  taking  us,  Rujub?"  Bathurst 
asked  presently;  "  I  have  lost  my  bearings  altogether." 

"  I  am  keeping  near  the  river,  sahib.  I  know  the 
country  well.  We  cannot  follow  the  road,  for  there  the 
Rajah's  troops  and  the  Sepoys  and  the  Oude  men  are 
gathered  to  oppose  your  people.  They  will  fight  to- 
morrow at  Dong,  as  I  told  you,  but  the  main  body  is  not 
far  from  here.  We  must  keep  far  away  from  them,  and 
if  your  people  take  Dong  we  can  then  join  them  if  we 
like.  This  road  keeps  near  the  river  all  the  way,  and  we 
are  not  likely  to  meet  Sepoys  here,  as  it  is  by  the  other 
road  the  white  troops  are  coming  up." 

After  four  hours'  walking,  Kujub  said,  "There  is  a 
large  wood  just  ahead.  We  will  go  in  there.  We  are  far 
enough  off  Cawnpore  to  be  safe  from  any  parties  they 
may  send  out  to  search.  If  your  people  take  Dong  to- 
morrow, they  will  have  enough  to  think  of  in  Cawnpore 
without  troubling  about  an  escaped  prisoner.  Besides," 
he  added,  "  if  the  Rajah's  orders  are  carried  out,  at  day- 
break they  will  not  know  that  a  prisoner  has  escaped; 
they  will  not  trouble  to  count." 

"  I  cannot  believe  it  possible  they  will  carry  out  such 
a  butchery,  Eujub." 

"We  shall  see,  sahib.  I  did  not  tell  you  all  I  knew 
lest  we  should  fail  to  carry  off  the  lady,  but  I  know  the 
orders  that  have  been  given.  Word  has  been  sent  round 
to  the  butchers  of  the  town,  and  to-morrow  morning 
soon  after  daybreak  it  will  be  done." 

Bathurst  gave  an  exclamation  of  horror,  for  until  now 
he  had  hardly  believed  it  was  possible  that  even  Nana 
Sahib  could  perpetrate  so  atrocious  a  massacre.  Not 
another  word  was  spoken  until  they  entered  the  wood. 

"Where  is  the  river,  Rujub?'' 

"  A  few  hundred  yards  to  the  left,  sahib;  the  road  is 
half  a  mile  to  the  right.  We  shall  be  quite  safe  here." 


348  RVJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

They  made  their  way  for  some  little  distance  into  the 
wood,  and  then  laid  down  their  burden. 

They  had  taken  to  the  spot  where  Rabda  remained 
when  the  others  went  forward  towards  the  prison  a 
basket  containing  food  and  three  bottles  of  wine,  and  this 
Eujub  had  carried  since  they  started  together.  As  soon 
as  the  hammock  was  lowered  to  the  ground,  Isobel  moved 
and  sat  up. 

"  I  am  rested  now.  Oh,  how  good  you  have  all  been! 
I  was  just  going  to  tell  you  that  I  could  walk  again.  I 
am  quite  ready  to  go  on  now." 

"  We  are  going  to  halt  here  till  to-morrow  evening, 
Miss  Hannay;  Rujub  thinks  we  are  quite  beyond  any 
risk  of  pursuit  now.  You  must  first  eat  and  drink  some- 
thing, and  then  sleep  as  long  as  you  can.  Rabda  has 
brought  a  native  dress  for  you  and  dye  for  staining  your 
skin,  but  there  is  no  occasion  for  doing  that  till  to-mor- 
row; the  river  is  only  a  short  distance  away,  and  in  the 
morning  you  will  be  able  to  enjoy  a  wash." 

The  neck  was  knocked  off  a  bottle.  Rabda  had 
brought  in  the  basket  a  small  silver  cup,  and  Isobel,  after 
drinking  some  wine  and  eating  a  few  mouthfuls  of  food, 
lay  down  by  her  and  was  soon  fast  asleep.  Bathurst  ate 
a  much  more  hearty  meal.  Rujub  and  his  daughter  said 
that  they  did  not  want  anything  before  morning. 

The  sun  was  high  before  Bathurst  woke.  Rujub  had 
lighted  a  fire,  and  was  boiling  some  rice  in  a  lota. 

"Where  is  Miss  Hannay?"  Bathurst  asked,  as  he 
sat  up. 

"  She  has  gone  down  to  the  river  with  Rabda.  The 
trees  hang  down  well  over  the  water,  and  they  can  wash 
without  fear  of  being  seen  on  the  opposite  shore.  I  was 
going  to  wake  you  when  the  lady  got  up,  but  she  made 
signs  that  you  were  to  be  allowed  to  sleep  on." 

In  half  an  hour  the  two  girls  returned.  Isobel  was 
attired  in  a  native  dress,  and  her  face,  neck,  arms,  feet, 
and  ankles  had  been  stained  to  the  same  color  as  Rabda's. 
She  came  forward  a  little  timidly,  for  she  felt  strange 
and  uncomfortable  in  her  scanty  attire.  Bathurst  gave 
an  exclamation  of  pain  as  he  saw  her  face. 

"How  dreadfully  you  have  burnt  yourself,  Miss  Han- 


RUJVB,   THE  JUGGLER.  349 

Bay;  surely  you  cannot  have  followed  the  instructions  I 
gave  you." 

"  No;  it  is  not  your  fault  at  all,  Mr.  Bathurst;  I  put  a 
great  deal  more  on  than  you  said,  but  I  was  so  anxious 
to  disfigure  myself  that  I  was  determined  to  do  it 
thoroughly;  but  it  is  nothing  to  what  it  was.  As  you  see, 
my  lips  are  getting  all  right  again,  and  the  sores  are  a 
good  deal  better  than  they  were;  I  suppose  they  will  leave 
scars,  but  that  won't  trouble  me." 

"  It  is  the  pain  you  must  have  suffered  that  I  am  think- 
ing of,"  he  replied.  "  As  to  the  scars,  I  hope  they  will 
wear  out  in  time;  you.  must  indeed  have  suffered  hor- 
ribly." 

"  They  burnt  dreadfully  for  a  time,"  the  girl  answered; 
"  but  for  the  last  two  or  three  days  I  have  hardly  felt  it, 
though,  of  course,  it  is  very  sore  still." 
'    "  Do  you  feel  ready  for  breakfast,  Miss  Hannay?  " 

"  Quite  ready,  and  for  a  walk  as  long  as  you  like  after- 
wards. I  feel  quite  another  creature  aften  my  dip.  That 
was  one  of  the  worst  things  in  the  prison.  We  had 
scarcely  water  enough  to  drink,  and  none  to  wash  with, 
and,  of  course,  no  combs  nor  anything." 

They  sat  down  together  and  ate  the  cold  food  they  had 
brought,  while  Kabda  and  her  father  made  their  break- 
fast of  rice. 

"What  has  become  of  Mr.  Wilson?"  Isobel  asked  sud- 
denly. "I  wondered  about  him  as  I  was  being  carried 
along  last  night,  but  I  was  too  tired  to  talk  after- 
wards." 

"  I  hope  he  is  either  safe  at  Allahabad  by  this  time,  or 
is  with  the  troops  marching  up.  The  Zemindar's  son, 
who  came  down  with  us  as  an  escort,  and  one  of  his  men 
got  safely  to  shore  also,  and  they  went  on  with  Wilson. 
When  he  found  I  was  going  to  stay  at  Cawnpore  to  try 
and  rescue  you,  he  pleaded  very  hard  that  I  should  keep 
him  with  me  in  order  that  he  might  share  in  the  attempt, 
but  his  ignorance  of  the  language  might  have  been  fatal, 
and  his  being  with  me  would  have  greatly  added  to  the 
difficulty,  so  I  was  obliged  to  refuse  him.  It  was  only 
because  I  told  him  that  instead  of  adding  to,  he  would 
lessen  your  chance  of  escape,  that  he  consented  to  go, 


.350  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

for  I  am  sure  he  would  willingly  have  laid  down  his  life 
to  save  yours." 

"  I  am  very  glad  he  is  safe;  he  is  very  kind-hearted  and 
nice,  Mr.  Bathurst,  and  a  thoroughly  natural,  unaffected 
young  fellow,  very  loyal  and  stanch.  I  am  quite  sure 
he  would  have  done  anything  he  could,  even  at  the  risk 
of  his  life." 

"  I  like  him  very  much,  too,  Miss  Hannay.  Before  the 
siege  I  thought  him  a  careless,  happy-go-lucky  lad,  but 
as  I  got  to  know  him  well,  I  found  he  was  much  more 
than  that,  and  he  will  make  a  good  man  and  an  excellent 
officer  one  of  these  days  if  he  is  spared.  He  is  thoroughly 
brave  without  the  slightest  brag — an  excellent  specimen 
of  the  best  class  of  public-school  boy." 

"  And  who  are  the  troops  coming  up,  Mr.  Bathurst? 
How  strong  are  they?  I  have  heard  nothing  about 
them." 

"  About  twelve  hundred  white  troops  and  four  or  five 
hundred  Sikhs;  at  least  that  is  what  the  natives  put 
them  at." 

"  But  surely  they  will  never  be  able  to  fight  their  way 
to  Cawnpore,  where  there  are  the  mutineers  and  Nana 
Sahib's  troops  and  the  Oude  men  and  the  people  of  the 
town.  Why,  there  must  be  ten  to  one  against  them." 

"Not  far  short  of  that,  I  think,  but  I  feel  sure  our 
men  will  do  it.  They  know  of  the  treachery  of  the  Nana, 
they  know  of  the  massacre  by  the  river,  and  they  know 
that  the  women  and  children  are  prisoners  in  his  hands, 
and  do  you  think  that  men  who  know  these  things  can 
be  beaten?  The  Sepoys  met  them  in  superior  force  and 
in  a  strong  position  at  Futtehpore,  and  they  drove  them 
before  them  like  chaff.  They  will  have  harder  work  next 
time,  but  I  have  no  shadow  of  fear  of  the  result." 

Then  their  talk  went  back  to  Deennugghur  and  of 
their  friends  there — the  Doolans,  the  Hunters,  the  Ein- 
touls,  and  others — and  Isobel  wept  freely  over  their 
fate. 

"  Next  to  my  uncle  I  shall  miss  the  Doctor,"  she  said. 

"  He  was  an  awfully  good  fellow,"  Bathurst  said,  "  and 
was  the  only  real  friend  I  have  had  since  I  came  to  India. 
I  would  have  done  anything  for  him." 


RVJVB,  THE  JUGGLER.  351 

"When  shall  we  start?"  Isobel  asked  presently. 

"  Directly  the  sun  goes  down  a  little.  You  would  find 
it  terribly  hot  now.  I  have  been  talking  it  over  with 
Rujub,  and  he  says  it  is  better  not  to  make  a  long  jour- 
ney to-day.  We  are  not  more  than  twenty  miles  from 
Dong,  and  it  would  not  do  to  move  in  that  direction 
until  we  know  how  things  have  gone;  therefore,  if  we 
start  at  three  o'clock  and  walk  till  seven  or  eight,  it  will 
be  quite  far  enough." 

"  He  seems  a  wonderful  man,"  said  Isobel.  "  You  re- 
member that  talk  we  had  at  dinner,  before  we  went  to 
see  him  at  the  Hunters! " 

"  Yes,"  he  said.  "  As  you  know,  I  was  a  believer  then, 
and  so  was  the  Doctor.  I  need  not  say  that  I  believe 
still  more  now  that  these  men  do  wholly  unaccountable 
feats.  He  put  the  sentry  outside  the  walls  of  your  prison 
and  five  out  of  your  eight  warders  so  sound  asleep  that 
they  did  not  wake  during  the  struggle  I  had  with  the 
others.  That,  of  course,  was  mesmerism.  His  messages 
to  you  were  actually  sent  by  means  of  his  daughter.  She 
was  put  in  a  sort  of  trance,  in  which  she  saw  you  and 
told  us  what  you  were  doing,  and  communicated  the 
message  her  father  gave  her  to  you.  He  could  not  send 
you  a  message  nor  tell  me  about  you  when  you  were  first 
at  Bithoor,  because  he  said  Rabda  was  not  in  sympathy 
with  you,  but  after  she  had  seen  you  and  touched  you, 
and  you  had  kissed  her,  she  was  able  to  do  so.  There 
does  not  appear  to  me  to  be  anything  beyond  the  powers 
of  nature  in  that,  though  doubtless  powers  were  called 
into  play  of  which  at  present  we  know  nothing.  But  we 
do  know  that  minds  act  upon  each  other.  Possibly  cer- 
tain persons  in  sympathy  with  each  other  may  be  able  to 
act  upon  each  other  from  a  distance,  especially  when 
thrown  into  the  sort  of  trance  which  is  known  as  the 
clairvoyant  state.  I  always  used  to  look  upon  that  as 
humbug,  but  I  need  hardly  say  I  shall  in  future  be  ready 
to  believe  almost  anything.  He  professes  to  have  other 
and  even  greater  powers  than  what  we  have  seen.  At 
any  rate,  he  can  have  no  motive  in  deceiving  me  when 
he  has  risked  his  life  to  help  me.  Do  you  know,  Rabda 
offered  to  go  into  the  prison — her  father  could  have  got 


352  RUJVB,  THE  JUGOLER. 

her  an  order  to  pass  in — and  then  to  let  you  go  out  in 
her  dress  while  she  remained  in  your  stead.  I  could  not 
accept  the  sacrifice  even  to  save  you,  and  I  was  sure  had 
I  done  so  you  yourself  would  have  refused  to  leave." 

"  Of  course.  But  how  good  of  her.  Please  tell  her 
that  you  have  told  me,  and  how  grateful  I  am  for  her 
offer." 

Bathurst  called  Eabda,  who  was  sitting  a  short  distance 
away. 

She  took  the  hand  that  Isobel  held  out  to  her  and 
placed  it  against  her  forehead. 

"  My  life  is  yours,  sahib,"  she  said  simply  to  Bathurst. 
"It  was  right  that  I  should  give  it  for  this  lady  you 
love." 

"What  does  she  say?"  Isobel  asked. 

"  She  says  that  she  owed  me  her  life  for  that  tigei; 
business,  you  know,  and  was  ready  to  give  it  for  you  be-, 
cause  I  had  set  my  mind  on  saving  you." 

"Is  that  what  she  really  said,  Mr.  Bathurst?"  Isobel 
asked  quietly,  for  he  had  hesitated  a  little  in  changing 
its  wording. 

"  That  was  the  sense  of  it,  I  can  assure  you.  Not  only 
was  she  ready  to  make  the  sacrifice,  but  her  father  con- 
sented to  her  doing  so.  These  Hindoos  are  capable  of 
gratitude,  you  see.  There  are  not  many  English  who 
would  be  ready  thus  to  sacrifice  themselves  for  a  man 
who  had  accidentally,  as  I  may  say,  saved  their  lives." 

"  Not  accidentally,  Mr.  Bathurst.  Why  do  you  always 
try  to  run  yourself  down?  I  suppose  you  will  say  next 
you  saved  my  life  by  an  accident." 

"The  saving  of  your  life  is  due  chiefly  to  these 
natives." 

"But  they  were  only  your  instruments,  Mr.  Bathurst; 
they  had  no  interest  in  saving  me.  You  tad  bought  their 
services  at  the  risk  of  your  life,  and  in  saving  me  they 
were  paying  that  debt  to  you." 

At  three  o'clock  they  prepared  for  the  start.  Bathurst 
had  exchanged  the  warder's  dress  for  one  of  a  peasant, 
which  they  had  brought  with  them.  The  wood  was  of 
no  great  width,  and  Kujub  said  they  had  better  follow 
the  road  now. 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  353 

"No  one  will  suspect  us  of  being  anything  but  what 
we  seem,"  he  said.  "  Should  we  meet  any  peasants,  their 
talk  will  be  with  you  and  me.  They  will  ask  no  questions 
about  the  women;  but  if  there  is  a  woman  among  them, 
and  she  speaks,  Eabda  will  answer  her." 

For  hours  they  had  heard  dull  sounds  in  the  air,  which 
Bathurst  had  recognized  at  once  as  distant  artillery, 
showing  that  the  fight  was  going  on  near  Dong. 

"  The  Sepoys  are  making  a  stout  resistance,  or  the 
firing  would  not  last  so  long,"  he  said  to  Rujub,  as  they 
walked  through  the  wood  towards  the  road. 

"  They  have  two  positions  to  defend,  sahib.  Tho 
Nana's  men  will  fight  first  at  a  strong  village  two  miles 
beyond  Dong;  if  they  are  beaten  there,  they  will  fight 
again  at  the  bridge  I  told  you  of." 

"  That  would  partly  account  for  it;  but  the  Sepoys 
must  be  fighting  much  better  than  they  did  at  Futteh- 
pore,  for  there,  as  you  said,  the  white  troops  swept  the 
Sepoys  before  them." 

When  they  reached  the  edge  of  the  wood  Bathurst 
said,  "  I  will  see  that  the  road  is  clear  before  we  go  out. 
If  anyone  saw  us  issuing  out  of  the  wood  they  might 
wonder  what  we  had  been  after/' 

He  went  to  the  edge  of  the  bushes  and  looked  down 
the  long  straight  road.  There  was  only  a  solitary  figure 
in  sight.  It  seemed  to  be  an  old  man  walking  lame  with 
a  stick.  Bathurst  was  about  to  turn  and  tell  the  others 
to  come  out,  when  he  saw  the  man  stop  suddenly,  turn 
round  to  look  back  along  the  road,  stand  with  his  head 
bent  as  if  listening,  then  run  across  the  road  with  much 
more  agility  than  he  had  before  seemed  to  possess,  and 
plunge  in  among  the  trees. 

"  Wait,"  he  said  to  those  behind  him,  "  something  is 
going  -on.  A  peasant  I  saw  in  the  road  has  suddenly 
dived  into  the  wood  as  if  he  was  afraid  of  being  pursued. 
Ah!"  he  exclaimed  a  minute  later,  "there  is  a  party  of 
horsemen  coming  along  at  a  gallop — get  farther  back 
into  the  wood." 

Presently  they  heard  the  rapid  trampling  of  horses, 
and  looking  through  the  bushes  they  saw  some  twenty 
sowars  of  one  of  the  native  cavalry  regiments  dash  past. 


364  RUJVB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

Bathurst  went  to  the  edge  of  the  wood  again,  and 
looked  out.  Then  he  turned  suddenly  to  Isobel. 

u  You  remember  those  pictures  on  the  smoke?"  he 
said  excitedly. 

"  No,  I  do  not  remember  them,"  she  said,  in  surprise. 
"  I  have  often  wondered  at  it,  but  I  have  never  been  able 
to  recollect  what  they  were  since  that  evening.  I  have 
often  thought  they  were  just  like  dreams,  where  one  sees 
everything  just  as  plainly  as  if  it  were  a  reality,  and  then 
go  out  of  your  mind  altogether  as  soon  as  you  are  awake." 

"It  has  been  just  the  same  with  me,"  replied  Bath- 
urst, "  except  that  once  or  twice  they  have  come  back  for 
a  moment  quite  vividly.  One  of  them  I  have  not  thought 
of  for  some  days,  but  now  I  see  it  again.  Don't  you  re- 
member there  was  a  wood,  and  a  Hindoo  man  and  woman 
stepped  out  of  it,  and  a  third  native  came  up  to  them?  " 

"  Yes,  I  remember  now,"  she  said  eagerly;  "  it  was 
just  as  we  are  here;  but  what  of  that,  Mr.  Bathurst?  " 

"  Did  you  recognize  any  of  them?  " 

"Yes,  yes,  it  all  comes  back  to  me  now.  It  was  you 
and  the  Doctor,  certainly,  and  I  thought  the  woman  was 
myself.  I  spoke  to  the  Doctor  next  day  about  it,  but  he 
laughed  at  it  all,  and  I  have  never  thought  of  it  since." 

"  The  Doctor  and  I  agreed,  when  we  talked  it  over 
that  evening,  that  the  Hindoo  who  stepped  out  of  the 
wood  was  myself,  and  thought  that  you  were  the  Hindoo 
girl,  but  of  that  we  were  not  so  sure,  for  your  face  seemed 
not  only  darkened,  but  blotched  and  altered — it  was  just 
as  you  are  now — and  the  third  native  was  the  Doctor 
himself;  we  both  felt  certain  of  that.  It  has  come  true, 
and  I  feel  absolutely  certain  that  the  native  I  saw  along 
the  road  will  turn  out  to  be  the  Doctor." 

"  Oh,  I  hope  so,  I  hope  so!  "  the  girl  cried,  and  pressed 
forward  with  Bathurst  to  the  edge  of  the  wood. 

The  old  native  was  coming  along  on  the  road  again. 
As  he  approached,  his  eye  fell  on  the  two  figures,  and 
with  a  Hindoo  salutation  he  was  passing  on,  when  Isobel 
cried,  "  It  is  the  Doctor!  "  and  rushing  forward  she  threw 
her  arms  round  his  neck. 

"  Isobel  Hannay! "  he  cried  in  delight  and  amazement; 
"  my  dear  little  girl,  my  dear  little  girl,  thank  God  you 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER.  35^ 

are  saved;  but  what  have  you  been  doing  with  yourself, 
and  who  is  this  vith  you?  " 

"  You  knew  me  v:hen  you  saw  me  in  the  picture  on  the 
smoke,  Doctor,"  Bathurst  said,  grasping  his  hand, 
"  though  you  do  not  know  me  in  life." 

"Yen,  too,  Bathurst!"  the  Doctor  exclaimed,  as  he 
wrung  his  hand;  "  thank  God  for  that,  my  dear  boy;  to 
think  that  both  of  you  should  have  been  saved — it  seems  a 
miracle.  The  picture  on  the  smoke?  Yes,  we  were 
speaking  of  it  that  last  night  at  Deennugghur,  and  I 
never  have  thought  of  it  since.  Is  there  anyone  else?  " 

"  My  friend  the  juggler  and  his  daughter  are  with  us? 
Doctor." 

"  Then  I  can  understand  the  miracle,"  the  Doctor  said, 
"for  I  believe  that  fellow  could  take  you  through  the 
air  and  carry  you  through  stone  walls  with  a  wave  of  his 
hand." 

"  Well,  he  has  not  exactly  done  that,  but  he  and  hig 
daughter  have  rendered  us  immense  service.  I  could  have 
done  nothing  without  them." 

The  two  natives,  seeing  through  the  bushes  the  recog- 
nition that  had  taken  placo,  had  now  stepped  forward 
and  salaamed  as  the  Doctor  spoke  a  few  hearty  words  to 
them. 

"But  where  have  you  sprung  from,  Doctor?  How 
were  you  saved?  " 

"  I  jumped  overboard  when  those  scoundrels  opened 
fire,"  the  Doctor  said.  "I  kept  my  wits  about  me,  and 
said  to  myself  that  if  I  were  to  swim  for  the  opposite 
shore  the  chances  were  that  I  should  get  shot  down,  so  I 
made  a  long  dive,  came  up  for  air,  and  then  went  down 
again,  and  came  up  the  next  time  under  some  bushes 
by  the  bank;  there  I  remained  all  night.  The  villains 
were  only  a  few  yards  away,  and  I  could  hear  every  word 
they  said.  I  heard  the  boat  come  ashore,  and  although  I 
could  have  done  no  good  by  rushing  out,  I  think  I  should 
have  done  so  if  I  had  had  any  weapon  about  me,  and 
have  tried  to  kill  one  or  two  of  them  before  I  went  down. 
As  it  was,  I  waited  until  morning.  Then  I  heard  the 
rumble  of  the  guns  and  the  wagons,  and  knew  that  they 
were  off.  I  waited  for  another  hour  to  make  sure,  and 


356  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

then  stepped  ashore,.  I  went  to  the  boat  lying  by  the 
bank.  When  I  saw  that  Isobel  and  the  other  two  ladies 
were  not  there,  I  knew  that  they  must  have  been  carried 
off  into  Cawnpore.  I  waited  there  until  night,  and  then 
made  my  way  to  a  peasant's  house  a  mile  out  of  the  town. 
I  had  operated  upon  him  for  elephantiasis  two  years  ago, 
and  the  man  had  shown  himself  grateful,  and  had 
occasionally  sent  me  in  little  presents  of  fowls  and  so  on. 
He  received  me  well,  gave  me  food,  which  I  wanted  hor- 
ribly, stained  my  skin,  and  rigged  me  out  in  this  dis- 
guise. The  next  morning  I  went  into  the  town,  and  for 
the  last  four  or  five  days  have  wandered  about  there. 
There  was  nothing  I  could  do,  and  yet  I  felt  that  I  could 
not  go  away,  but  must  stay  within  sight  of  the  prison 
where  you  were  all  confined  till  our  column  arrived.  But 
this  morning  I  determined  to  come  down  to  join  our 
people  who  are  fighting  their  way  up,  little  thinking  that 
I  should  light  upon  you  by  the  way." 

"We  were  just  going  to  push  on,  Doctor;  but  as  you 
have  had  a  good  long  tramp  already,  we  will  stop  here 
until  to-morrow  morning,  if  you  like." 

"  No,  no,  let  us  go  on,  Bathurst.  I  would  rather  be  on 
the  move,  and  you  can  tell  me  your  story  as  we  go." 


CHAPTEE  XXII. 

BATHTJRST  knew  the  Doctor  well,  and  perceived  that 
glad  as  he  was  to  have  met  them,  he  was  yet  profoundly 
depressed  in  spirits.  This,  added  to  the  fact  that  he  had 
left  Cawnpore  that  morning,  instead  of  waiting  as  he  had 
intended,  convinced  Bathurst  that  what  he  dreaded  had 
taken  place.  He  waited  until  Isobel  stopped  for  a  mo- 
ment, that  Eabda  might  rearrange  the  cloth  folded 
round  her  in  its  proper  draping.  Then  he  said  quickly, 
"I  heard  yesterday  what  was  intended,  Doctor.  Is  it 
possible  that  it  has-been  done?  " 

"  It  was  done  this  morning." 

"  What,  all?    Surely  not  all,  Doctor?  " 

"Every  soul — every  woman  and  child.  Think  of  it — 
the  fiends!  the  devils!  The  native  brought  me  the  news- 


BUJUB.   THE  JUGGLER.  851 

If  I  had  heard  it  in  the  streets  of  Cawnpore  I  should 
have  gone  mad  and  seized  a  sword  and  run  amuck.  As 
it  was,  I  was  well-nigh  out  of  mind.  I  could  not  stay 
there.  The  man  would  have  sheltered  me  until  the 
troops  came  up,  but  I  was  obliged  to  be  moving,  so  I 
started  down.  Hush!  here  comes  Isobel;  we  must  keep 
it  from  her." 

"  Now,  Isobel,"  he  went  on,  as  the  girl  joined  them, 
and  they  all  started  along  the  road,  "  tell  me  how  it  is  I 
find  you  here." 

"Mr.  Bathurst  must  tell  you,  Doctor;  I  cannot  talk 
about  it  yet — I  can  hardly  think  about  it." 

"  Well,  Bathurst,  let  us  hear  it  from  you." 

"  It  is  a  painful  story  for  me  to  have  to  tell." 

Isobel  looked  up  in  surprise. 

"  Painful,  Mr.  Bathurst?  I  should  have  thought " 

and  she  stopped. 

"  Not  all  painful,  Miss  Hannay,  but  in  parts.  I  would 
rather  tell  you,  Doctor,  when  we  have  finished  our  jour- 
ney this  evening,  if  your  curiosity  will  allow  you  to  wait 
so  long." 

"I  will  try  to  wait,"  the  Doctor  replied,  "though  I 
own  it  is  a  trial.  Now,  Isobel,  you  have  not  told  me  yet 
what  has  happened  to  your  face.  Let  me  look  at  it 
closer,  child.  I  see  your  arms  are  bad,  too.  What  on 
earth  has  happened  to  you?" 

"  I  burnt  myself  with  acid,  Doctor.  Mr.  Bathurst  will 
tell  you  all  about  it." 

"  Bless  me,  mystery  seems  to  thicken.  Well,  you  have 
got  yourself  into  a  pretty  pickle.  Why,  child,  burns  of 
that  sort  leave  scars  as  bad  as  if  you  had  been  burnt  by 
fire.  You  ought  to  be  in  a  dark  room  with  your  face 
and  hands  bandaged,  instead  of  tramping  along  here  in 
the  sun." 

"  I  have  some  lotions  and  some  ointment,  Doctor.  I 
have  used  them  regularly  since  it  was  done,  and  the 
places  don't  hurt  me  much  now." 

"  No,  they  look  healthy  enough,"  he  said,  examining 
them  closely.  "  Granulation  is  going  en  nicely;  but  I 
warn  you  you  will  be  disfigured  for  months,  and  it  may 
be  years  before  you  get  rid  of  the  scars.  I  doubt,  in- 


358  RUJVB,   THE  JUGGLER. 

deed,  if  you  will  ever  get  rid  of  them  altogether.  Well, 
well,  what  shall  we  talk  about  ?" 

"  I  will  take  pity  on  you,  Doctor.  I  will  walk  on  ahead 
with  Rabda  and  her  father,  and  Mr.  Bathurst  can  then 
tell  you  his  story." 

"  That  will  be  the  best  plan,  my  dear.  Now  then, 
Bathurst,  fire  away,"  he  said,  when  the  others  had  gone 
on  thirty  or  forty  yards  ahead. 

"  Well,  Doctor,  you  remember  that  you  were  forward 
talking  to  the  young  Zemindar,  and  I  was  sitting  aft  by 
the  side  of  Miss  Hannay,  when  they  opened  fire  ?  " 

"  I  should  think  I  do  remember  it,"  the  Doctor  said, 
"  and  I  am  not  likely  to  forget  it  if  I  live  to  be  a  hun- 
dred. Well,  what  about  that?" 

"  I  jumped  overboard,"  Bathurst  said,  laying  his  hand 
impressively  upon  the  Doctor's  shoulder.  "  I  gave  a  cry, 
I  know  I  did,  and  I  jumped  overboard." 

The  Doctor  looked  at  him  in  astonishment. 

"  Well,  so  did  I,  like  a  shot.  But  what  do  you  say  it 
in  that  tone  for?  Of  course  you  jumped  overboard.  If 
you  hadn't  you  would  not  be  here  now." 

"You  don't  understand  me,  Doctor,"  Bathurst  said 
gloomily.  "  I  was  sitting  there  next  to  Isobel  Hannay — 
the  woman  I  loved.  We  were  talking  in  low  tones,  and  I 
don't  know  why,  but  at  that  moment  the  mad  thought 
was  coming  into  my  mind  that,  after  all,  she  cared  for 
me,  that  in  spite  of  the  disgrace  I  had  brought  upon 
myself,  in  spite  of  being  a  coward,  she  might  still  be 
mine;  and  as  I  was  thinking  this  there  came  the  crash  of 
a  cannon.  Can  it  be  imagined  possible  that  I  jumped  up 
like  a  frightened  hare,  and  without  a  thought  of  her, 
without  a  thought  of  anything  in  my  mad  terror,  jumped 
overboard  and  left  her  behind  to  her  fate?  If  it  had 
not  been  that  as  soon  as  I  recovered  my  senses — I  was 
hit  on  the  head  just  as  I  landed,  and  knew  nothing  of 
what  happened  until  I  found  myself  in  the  bushes  with 
young  Wilson  by  my  side — the  thought  occurred  to  me 
that  I  would  rescue  her  or  die  in  the  attempt,  I  would 
have  blown  out  my  brains." 

"  But,  bless  my  heart,  Bathurst,"  the  Doctor  said 
earnestly,  "what  else  could  you  have  done?  Why,  I 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER.  359 

jumped  overboard  without  stopping  to  think,  and  so  did 
everyone  else  who  had  power  to  do  so,  no  doubt.  What 
good  could  you  have  done  if  you  had  stayed?  What 
good  would  it  have  done  to  the  girl  if  you  had  been 
killed?  Why,  if  you  had  been  killed,  she  would  now  be 
lying  mangled  and  dead  with  the  others  in  that  ghastly 
prison.  You  take  too  morbid  a  view  of  this  matter 
altogether." 

"  There  was  no  reason  why  you  should  not  have 
jumped  overboard,  Doctor,  nor  the  others.  Don't  you 
see  I  was  with  the  woman  I  loved?  I  might  have  seized 
her  in  my  arms  and  jumped  overboard  with  her,  and 
swam  ashore  with  her,  or  I  might  have  stayed  and  died 
with  her.  I  thought  of  my  own  wretched  life,  and  I  de- 
serted her." 

"  My  dear  Bathurst,  you  did  not  think  of  your  life.  I 
don't  think  any  of  us  stopped  to  think  of  anything;  but, 
constituted  as  you  are,  the  impulse  must  have  been  over- 
powering. It  is  nonsense  your  taking  this  matter  to 
heart.  Why,  man,  if  you  had  stopped,  you  would  have 
been  murdered  when  the  boat  touched  the  shore,  and  do 
you  think  it  would  have  made  her  happier  to  have  seen 
you  killed  before  her  eyes?  If  you  had  swam  ashore 
with  her,  the  chances  are  she  would  have  been  killed  by 
that  volley  of  grape,  for  I  saw  eight  or  ten  bodies  lying 
on  the  sands,  and  you  yourself  were,  you  say,  hit.  You 
acted  upon  impulse,  I  grant,  but  it  was  upon  a  wise  im- 
pulse. You  did  the  very  best  thing  that  could  have  been 
done,  and  your  doing  so  made  it  possible  that  Isobel 
Hannay  should  be  rescued  from  what  would  otherwise 
have  been  certain  death." 

"  It  has  turned  out  so,  Doctor,"  Bathurst  said  gloomily, 
"  and  I  thank  God  that  she  is  saved.  But  that  does  not 
alter  the  fact  that  I,  an  English  gentleman  by  birth, 
thought  only  of  myself,  and  left  the  woman  I  loved,  who 
was  sitting  by  my  side,  to  perish.  But  do  not  let  us  talk 
any  more  about  it.  It  is  done  and  over.  There  is  an 
end  of  it.  Now  I  will  tell  you  the  story." 

The  Doctor  listened  silently  until  he  heard  of  Isobel's 
being  taken  to  Bithoor.  "  The  atrocious  villain! "  he  ex- 
claimed. "  I  have  been  lamenting  the  last  month  that  I 


300  RUJUBt  THE  JUGGLER. 

never  poisoned  the  fellow,  and  now — but  go  on,  go  on. 
How  on  earth  did  you  get  her  away?  " 

Bathurst  told  the  whole  story,  interrupted  by  many 
exclamations  of  approval  by  the  Doctor;  especially  when 
he  learned  why  Isobel  disfigured  herself. 

"Well  done!"  he  exclaimed;  "I  always  knew  that  she 
was  a  plucky  girl,  and  it  needed  courage,  I  can  tell  you, 
to  burn  herself  as  she  has  done,  to  say  notlnng  of  risking 
spoiling  her  beauty  for  life.  No  slight  sacrifice  for  a 
woman." 

Bathurst  passed  lightly  over  his  fight  in  the  court- 
yard, but  the  Doctor  questioned  him  as  to  the  exact 
facts. 

"  Not  so  bad  for  a  coward,  Bathurst,"  he  said  dryly. 

"  There  was  no  noise,"  Bathurst  said;  "  if  they  had 
had  pistols,  and  had  used  them,  it  might  have  been 
different.  Heaven  knows,  but  I  don't  think  that  then, 
with  her  life  at  stake,  I  should  have  flinched;  I  had  made 
up  my  mind  they  would  have  pistols,  but  I  hope — I 
think  that  my  nerves  would  not  have  given  way  then." 

"  I  am  sure  they  wouldn't,  Bathurst.  Well,  go  on  with 
your  story." 

"  Well,  how  did  you  feel  then?  "  he  asked,  when  Bath-, 
nrst  described  how  the  guard  rushed  in  through  the  gate 
firing,  "  for  it  is  the  noise,  and  not  the  danger,  that  up- 
sets you?" 

"I  did  not  even  think  of  it,"  Bathurst  said,  in  some 
surprise.  "  Now  you  mention  it,  I  am  astonished  that  I 
was  not  for  a  minute  paralyzed,  as  I  always  am,  but  I 
did  not  feel  anything  of  the  sort;  they  rushed  in  firing  as 
I  told  you,  and  directly  they  had  gone  I  took  her  hand 
and  we  ran  out  together." 

"  I  think  it  quite  possible,  Bathurst,  that  your  nervous- 
ness  may  have  gone  forever.  Now  that  once  you  have 
heard  guns  fired  close  to  you  without  your  nerves  giving 
way  as  usual,  it  is  quite  possible  that  you  might  do  so 
again.  I  don't  say  that  you  would,  but  it  is  possible, 
indeed  it  seems  to  me  to  be  probable.  It  may  be  that 
the  sudden  shock  when  you  jumped  into  the  water,  act- 
ing upon  your  nerves  when  in  a  state  of  extreme  tension, 
may  have  set  them  right,  and  that  bullet-graze  along 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER.  861 

the  top  of  the  skull  may  have  aided  the  effect  of  the 
shock.  Men  frequently  lose  their  nerve  after  a  heavy 
fall  from  a  horse,  or  a  sudden  attack  by  a  tiger,  or  any 
other  unexpected  shock.  It  may  be  that  with  you  it  has 
had  the  reverse  consequence." 

"  I  hope  to  God  that  it  may  be  so,  Doctor,"  Bathurst 
said,  with  deep  earnestness.  "It  is  certainly  extraordi- 
nary I  should  not  have  felt  it  when  they  fired  within  a  few 
feet  of  my  head.  If  we  get  down  to  Allahabad  I  will  try. 
I  will  place  myself  near  a  gun  when  it  is  going  to  be 
fired;  and  if  I  stand  that  I  will  come  up  again  and  join 
this  column  as  a  volunteer,  and  take  part  in  the  work 
of  vengeance.  If  I  can  but  once  bear  my  part  as  a  man, 
they  are  welcome  to  kill  me  in  the  next  engagement." 

"Pooh!  pooh!  man.  You  are  not  born  to  be  killed  in 
battle.  After  making  yourself  a  target  on  the  roof  at 
Deennugghur,  and  jumping  down  in  the  middle  of  the 
Sepoys  in  the  breach,  and  getting  through  that  attack 
in  the  boats,  I  don't  think  you  are  fated  to  meet  your  end 
with  a  bullet.  Well,  now  let  us  walk  on,  and  join  the 
others.  Isobel  must  be  wondering  how  much  longer  we 
are  going  to  talk  together.  She  cannot  exchange  a  word 
with  the  natives;  it  must  be  dull  work  for  her.  She  is  a 
great  deal  thinner  than  she  was  before  these  troubles 
came  on.  You  see  how  differently  she  walks.  She  has 
quite  lost  that  elastic  step  of  hers,  but  I  dare  say  that  is 
a  good  deal  due  to  her  walking  with  bare  feet  instead  of 
in  English  boots — boots  have  a  good  deal  to  do  with  a 
walk.  Look  at  the  difference  between  the  walk  of  a  gen- 
tleman who  has  always  worn  well-fitting  boots  and  that 
of  a  countryman  who  has  gone  about  in  thick  iron-shod 
boots  all  his  life.  Breeding  goes  for  something,  no  doubt, 
and  alters  a  man's  walk  just  as  it  alters  a  horse's  gait." 

Bathurst  could  not  help  laughing  at  the  Doctor  drop- 
ping into  his  usual  style  of  discussing  things. 

"  Are  your  feet  feeling  tender,  Isobel?  "  the  latter  asked 
cheerfully,  as  he  overtook  those  in  front. 

"  No,  Doctor,"  she  said,  with  a  smile;  "  I  don't  know 
that  I  was  ever  thankful  for  dust  before,  but  I  am  now; 
it  is  so  soft  that  it  is  like  walking  on  a  carpet,  but,  of 
course,  it  feels  very  strange." 


362  RUJUBi  THE  JUGGLER. 

"  You  have  only  to  fancy,  my  dear,  that  you  are  by  the 
seaside,  walking  down  from  your  bathing  machine  across 
the  sands;  once  get  that  in  your  mind  and  you  will  get 
perfectly  comfortable/' 

"  It  requires  too  great  a  stretch  of  the  imagination, 
Doctor,  to  think  for  a  moment,  in  this  sweltering  heat, 
that  I  am  enjoying  a  sea-breeze  on  our  English  coast.  It 
is  silly,  of  course,  to  give  it  even  a  thought,  when  one  is 
accustomed  to  see  almost  every  woman  without  shoes.  I 
think  I  should  mind  it  more  than  I  do  if  my  feet  were 
not  stained.  I  don't  know  why,  but  I  should.  But 
please  don't  talk  about  it.  I  try  to  forget  it,  and  to  fancy 
that  I  am  really  a  native." 

They  met  but  few  people  on  the  road.  Those  they  did 
meet  passed  them  with  the  usual  salutation.  There  was 
nothing  strange  in  a  party  of  peasants  passing  along  the 
road.  They  might  have  been  at  work  at  Cawnpore,  and 
be  now  returning  to  their  native  village  to  get  away  from 
the  troubles  there.  After  it  became  dark  they  went  into 
a  clump  of  trees  half  a  mile  distant  from  a  village  they 
could  see  along  the  road. 

"  I  will  go  in,"  Rujub  said,  "  and  bring  some  grain, 
and  hear  what  the  news  is." 

He  returned  in  an  hour.  "  The  English  have  taken 
Dong,"  he  said;  "  the  news  came  in  two  hours  ago.  There 
has  been  some  hard  fighting;  the  Sepoys  resisted  stoutly 
at  the  village,  even  advancing  beyond  the  inclosures  to 
meet  the  British.  They  were  driven  back  by  the  artillery 
and  rifle  fire,  but  held  the  village  for  some  time  before 
they  were  turned  out.  There  was  a  stand  made  at  the 
Pandoo  Bridge,  but  it  was  a  short  one.  The  force  massed 
there  fell  back  at  once  when  the  British  infantry  came 
near  enough  to  rush  forward  at  the  charge,  and  in  their 
hurry  they  failed  to  blow  up  the  bridge." 

A  consultation  was  held  as  to  whether  they  should  try 
to  join  the  British,  but  it  was  decided  that  as  the  road 
down  to  Allahabad  would  be  rendered  safe  by  their  ad- 
vance, it  would  be  better  to  keep  straight  on. 

The  next  day  they  proceeded  on  their  journey,  walking 
in  the  early  morning,  halting  as  soon  as  the  sun  had 
gained  much  power,  and  going  on  again  in  the  cool  of 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  333 

the  evening.  After  three  days'  walking  they  reached  the 
fort  of  Allahabad.  It  was  crowded  with  ladies  who  had 
come  in  from  the  country  round.  Most  of  the  men  were 
doing  duty  with  the  garrison,  but  some  thirty  had  gone 
up  with  Havelock's  column  as  volunteer  cavalry,  his  force 
being  entirely  deficient  in  that  arm. 

As  soon  as  the  Doctor  explained  who  they  were,  they 
were  received  with  the  greatest  kindness,  and  Isobel  was 
at  once  carried  off  by  the  ladies,  while  Bathurst  and  the 
Doctor  were  surrounded  by  an  eager  group  anxious  to 
hear  the  state  of  affairs  at  Cawnpore,  and  how  they  had 
escaped.  The  news  of  the  fighting  at  Dong  was  already 
known;  for  on  the  evening  of  the  day  of  the  fight  Have- 
lock  had  sent  down  a  mounted  messenger  to  say  the  re- 
sistance was  proving  so  severe  that  he  begged  some  more 
troops  might  be  sent  up.  As  all  was  quiet  now  at  Alla- 
habad, where  there  had  at  first  been  some  fierce  fighting, 
General  Neil,  who  was  in  command  there,  had  placed 
two  hundred  and  thirty  men  of  the  84th  Eegiment  in 
bullock  vans,  and  had  himself  gone  on  with  them. 

The  Doctor  had  decided  to  keep  the  news  of  the  mas- 
sacre to  himself. 

"  They  will  know  it  before  many  hours  are  over,  Bath- 
urst,"  he  said;  "and  were  I  to  tell  them,  half  of  them 
wouldn't  believe  me,  and  the  other  half  would  pester  my 
life  out  with  questions.  There  is  never  any  occasion  to 
hurry  in  telling  bad  news." 

The  first  inquiry  of  Bathurst  and  his  friends  had  been 
for  Wilson,  and  they  found  to  their  great  pleasure  that  he 
had  arrived  in  safety,  and  had  gone  up  with  the  little 
body  of  cavalry.  Captain  Forster,  whom  they  next  asked 
for,  had  not  reached  Allahabad,  and  no  news  had  been 
heard  of  him. 

"What  are  you  going  to  do,  Rujub?"  Bathurst  asked 
the  native  next  morning. 

"  I  shall  go  to  Patna,"  he  said.  "  I  have  friends  there, 
and  I  shall  remain  in  the  city  until  these  troubles  are  over. 
I  believe  now  that  you  were  right,  sahib,  although  I  did 
not  think  so  when  you  spoke,  and  that  the  British  Eaj 
will  be  restored.  I  thought,  as  did  the  Sepoys,  that  they 
were  a  match  for  the  British  troops.  I  see  now  that  I 


364  RVJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

was  wrong.  But  there  is  a  tremendous  task  before  them. 
There  is  all  Oude  and  the  Northwest  to  conquer,  and 
fully  two  hundred  thousand  men  in  arms  against  them, 
but  I  believe  that  they  will  do  it.  They  are  a  great  peo- 
ple, and  now  I  do  not  wish  it  otherwise.  This  afternoon 
I  shall  start." 

The  Doctor,  who  had  found  many  acquaintances  in 
Allahabad,  had  no  difficulty  in  obtaining  money  from 
the  garrison  treasury,  and  Bathurst  and  Isobel  purchased 
the  two  handsomest  bracelets  they  could  obtain  from 
the  ladies  in  the  fort  as  a  souvenir  for  Eabda,  and  gave 
them  to  her  with  the  heartiest  expressions  of  their  deep 
gratitude  to  her  and  her  father. 

"  I  shall  think  of  you  always,  Eabda,"  Isobel  said, 
"  and  shall  be  grateful  to  the  end  of  my  life  for  the  kind- 
ness that  you  have  done  us.  Your  father  has  given  us 
your  address  at  Patna,  and  I  shall  write  to  you  often." 

"  I  shall  never  forget  you,  lady;  and  even  the  black 
water  will  not  quite  separate  us.  As  I  knew  how  you 
were  in  prison,  so  I  shall  know  how  you  are  in  your  home 
in  England.  What  we  have  done  is  little.  Did  not  the 
sahib  risk  his  life  for  me?  My  father  and  I  will  never 
forget  what  we  owe  him.  I  am  glad  to  know  that  you 
will  make  him  happy." 

This  was  said  in  the  room  that  had  been  allotted  to 
Isobel,  an  ayah  of  one  of  the  ladies  in  the  fort  acting  at* 
interpreter.  The  girl  had  woke  up  in  the  morning 
flushed  and  feverish,  and  the  Doctor,  when  sent  for,  told 
her  she  must  keep  absolutely  quiet. 

"  I  am  afraid  I  am  going  to  have  her  on  my  hands  for 
a  bit,v  he  said  to  Bathurst.  "  She  has  borne  the  strain 
well,  but  she  looks  to  me  as  if  she  was  going  to  have 
a  smart  attack  of  fever.  It  is  well  that  we  got  her  here 
before  it  showed  itself.  You  need  not  looked  scared;  it  is 
just  the  reaction.  If  it  had  been  going  to  be  brain  fever 
or  anything  of  that  sort,  I  should  have  expected  her  to 
break  down  directly  you  got  her  out.  No,  I  don't  antici- 
pate anything  serious,  and  I  am  sure  I  hope  that  it 
won't  be  so.  I  have  put  my  name  down  to  go  up  with 
the  next  batch  of  volunteers.  Doctors  will  be  wanted  at 
the  front,  and  I  hope  to  have  a  chance  of  wiping  out  my 


RUJVB,  THE  JUGGLER.  355 

score  with  some  of  those  scoundrels.  However,  though 
I  think  she  is  going  to  be  laid  up,  I  don't  fancy  it  will  last 
many  days." 

That  afternoon  a  messenger  from  Havelock  brought 
down  the  terrible  news  that  they  had  fought  their  way 
to  Cawnpore,  only  to  find  that  the  whole  of  the  ladies 
and  children  in  the  Subada  Ke  Kothee  had  been  massa- 
cred, and  their  bodies  thrown  down  a  well.  The  grief 
and  indignation  caused  by  the  news  were  terrible;  scarce 
one  but  had  friends  among  the  prisoners.  Women  wept; 
men  walked  up  an  down,  wild  with  fury  at  being  unable 
to  do  aught  at  present  to  avenge  the  massacre. 

"What  are  you  going  to  do,  Bathurst?"  the  Doctor 
asked  that  evening.  "  I  suppose  you  have  some  sort  of 
plan?" 

"  I  do  not  know  yet.  In  the  first  place,  I  want  to  try 
whether  what  you  said  the  other  day  is  correct,  and  if  I 
can  stand  the  noise  of  firing  without  flinching." 

"  We  can't  try  here  in  the  fort,"  the  Doctor  said,  full  of 
interest  in  the  experiment;  "  a  musket  shot  would  throw 
the  whole  garrison  into  confusion,  and  at  present  no  one 
can  go  far  from  the  gate;  however,  there  may  be  a  row 
before  long,  and  then  you  will  have  an  opportunity  of 
trying.  If  there  is  not,  we  will  go  out  together  half  a 
mile  or  so  as  soon  as  some  more  troops  get  up.  You  said, 
when  we  were  talking  about  it  at  Deennugghur,  you 
should  resign  your  appointment  and  go  home,  but  if 
you  find  your  nerves  are  all  right  you  may  change  your 
mind  about  that.  How  about  the  young  lady  in  there?" 

"  Well,  Doctor,  I  should  say  that  you,  as  her  father's 
friend,  are  the  person  to  make  arrangements  for  her. 
Just  at  present  travel  is  not  very  safe,  but  I  suppose  that 
directly  things  quiet  down  a  little  many  of  the  ladies 
will  be  going  down  to  the  coast,  and  no  doubt  some  of 
them  would  take  charge  of  Miss  Hannay  back  to 
England." 

"  And  you  mean  to  have  nothing  to  say  in  the 
matter?  " 

"  Nothing  at  all,"  he  said  firmly.  "  I  have  already 
told  you  my  views  on  the  subject." 

"  Well,'  then,"  the  Doctor  said  hotly,  "  I  regard  you  as 


066  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

an  ass."  And  without  another  word  he  walked  off  in 
great  anger. 

For  the  next  four  or  five  days  Isobel  was  in  a  high 
state  of  fever;  it  passed  off  as  the  Doctor  had  predicted 
it  would  do,  but  left  her  very  weak  and  languid.  Another 
week  and  she  was  about  again. 

"  What  is  Mr.  Bathurst  going  to  do?  "  she  asked  the 
Doctor  the  first  day  she  was  up  on  a  couch. 

"  I  don't  know  what  he  is  going  to  do,  my  dear," 
he  said  irritably;  "  my  opinion  of  Bathurst  is  that  he  is  a 
fool." 

"  Oh,  Doctor,  how  can  you  say  so! "  she  exclaimed  in 
astonishment;  "why,  what  has  he  done?" 

"  It  isn't  what  he  has  done,  but  what  he  won't  do,  my 
dear.  Here  he  is  in  love  with  a  young  woman  in  every 
way  suitable,  and  who  is  ready  to  say  yes  whenever  he 
asks  her,  and  he  won't  ask,  and  is  not  going  to  ask,  be- 
cause of  a  ridiculous  crotchet  he  has  got  in  his  head." 

Isobel  flushed  and  then  grew  pale. 

"What  is  the  crotchet?"  she  asked,  in  a  low  tone, 
after  being  silent  for  some  time. 

"  What  do  you  think,  my  dear?  He  is  more  disgusted 
with  himself  than  ever." 

"  Not  about  that  nervousness,  surely,"  Isobel  said, 
"  after  all  he  has  done  and  the  way  he  has  risked  his  life? 
Surely  that  cannot  be  troubling  him?  " 

"It  is,  my  dear;  not  so  much  on  the  general  as  on  a 
particular  ground.  He  insists  that  by  jumping  out  of 
the  boat  when  that  fire  began,  he  has  done  for  himself 
altogether." 

"  But  what  could  he  have  done,  Doctor?  " 

"  that's  what  I  ask  him,  my  dear.  He  insists  that  he 
ought  to  either  have  seized  you  and  jumped  overboard 
with  you,  in  which  case  you  would  both  probably  have 
been  killed,  as  I  pointed  out  to  him,  or  else  stayed  quietly 
with  you  by  your  side,  in  which  case,  as  I  also  pointed 
out  to  him,  you  would  have  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing 
him  murdered.  He  could  not  deny  that  this  would  have 
been  so,  but  that  in  no  way  alters  his  opinion  of  his  own 
conduct.  I  also  ventured  to  point  out  to  him  that  if  he 
had  been  killed,  you  would  at  this  moment  be  either  in. 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  367 

the  power  of  that  villainous  Nana,  or  be  with  hundreds 
of  others  in  that  ghastly  well  at  Cawnpore.  I  also  ob- 
served to  him  that  I,  who  do  not  regard  myself  as  a 
coward,  also  jumped  overboard  from  your  boat,  and  that 
Wilson,  who  is  certainly  a  plucky  young  fellow,  and  a 
number  of  others,  jumped  over  from  the  other  boat;  but 
I  might  as  well  have  talked  to  a  post." 

Isobel  sat  for  some  time  silent,  her  fingers  playing 
nervously  with  each  other. 

"  Of  course  it  seems  foolish  of  him  to  think  of  it  so 
strongly,  but  I  don't  think  it  is  unnatural  he  should  feel 
as  he  does." 

"May  I  ask  why?"  the  Doctor  said  sarcastically. 

"  I  mean,  Doctor,  it  would  be  foolish  of  other  people, 
but  I  don't  think  it  is  foolish  of  him.  Of  course  he  could 
have  done  no  good  staying  in  the  boat — he  would  have 
simply  thrown  away  his  life;  and  yet  I  think,  I  feel  sure, 
that  there  are  many  men  who  would  have  thrown  away 
their  lives  in  such  a  ease.  Even  at  that  moment  of  terror 
I  felt  a  pang,  when,  without  a  word,  he  sprang  overboard. 
I  thought  of  it  many  times  that  long  night,  in  spite  of 
my  grief  for  my  uncle  and  the  others,  and  my  horror  of 
being  a  prisoner  in  the  hands  of  the  Sepoys.  I  did  not 
blame  him,  because  I  knew  how  he  must  have  felt,  and 
that  it  was  done  in  a  moment  of  panic.  I  was  not  so 
sorry  for  myself  as  for  him,  for  I  knew  that  if  he  escaped, 
the  thought  of  that  moment  would  be  terrible  for  him. 
I  need  not  say  that  in  my  mind  the  feeling  that  he  should 
not  have  left  me  so  has  been  wiped  out  a  thousand  times 
by  what  he  did  afterwards,  by  the  risk  he  ran  for  me, 
and  the  infinite  service  he  rendered  me  by  saving  me 
from  a  fate  worse  than  death.  But  I  can  enter  into  his 
feelings.  Most  men  would  have  jumped  over  just  as  he 
did,  and  would  never  have  blamed  themselves  even  if  they 
had  at  once  started  away  down  the  country  to  save  their 
own  lives,  much  less  if  they  had  stopped  to  save  mine  as 
he  has  done. 

"  But  who  can  wonder  that  he  is  more  sensitive  than 
others?  Did  he  not  hear  from  you  that  I  said  that  a 
coward  was  contemptible?  Did  not  all  the  men  except 
you  and  my  uncle  turn  their  backs  upon  him  and  treat 


368  RUJVB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

him  with  contempt,  in  spite  of  his  effort  to  meet  his 
death  by  standing  up  on  the  roof?  Think  how  awfully 
he  must  have  suffered,  and  then,  when  it  seemed  that  his 
intervention,  which  saved  our  lives,  had  to  some  extent 
won  him  back  the  esteem  of  the  men  around  him,  that  he 
should  so  fail  again,  as  he  considers,  and  that  with  me 
beside  him.  No  wonder  that  he  takes  the  view  he  does, 
and  that  he  refuses  to  consider  that  even  the  devotion 
and  courage  he  afterwards  showed  can  redeem  what  he 
considers  is  a  disgrace.  You  always  said  that  he  was 
brave,  Doctor,  and  I  believe  now  there  is  no  braver  man 
living;  but  that  makes  it  so  much  the  worse  for  him.  A 
coward  would.be  more  than  satisfied  with  himself  for  what 
he  did  afterwards,  and  would  regard  it  as  having  com- 
pletely wiped  out  any  failing,  while  he  magnifies  the  fail- 
ing, such  as  it  was,  and  places  but  small  weight  on  what 
he  afterwards  did.  I  like  him  all  the  better  for  it.  I 
know  the  fault,  if  fault  it  was,  and  I  thought  it  so  at  the 
time,  was  one  for  which  he  was  not  responsible,  and  yet 
I  like  him  all  the  better  that  he  feels  it  so  deeply." 

"  Well,  my  dear,  you  had  better  tell  him  so,"  the  Doc- 
tor said  dryly.  "  I  really  agree  with  what  you  say,  and 
you  make  an  excellent  advocate.  I  cannot  do  better  than 
leave  the  matter  in  your  hands.  You  know,  child,"  he 
said,  changing  his  tone,  "I  have  from  the  first  wished 
for  Bathurst  and  you  to  come  together,  and  if  you  don't 
do  so  I  shall  say  you  are  the  most  wrong-headed  young 
people  I  ever  met.  He  loves  you,  and  I  don't  think  there 
is  any  question  about  your  feelings,  and  you  ought  to 
make  matters  right  somehow.  Unfortunately,  he  is  a 
singularly  pig-headed  man  when  he  gets  an  idea  in  his 
mind.  However,  I  hope  that  it  will  come  all  right.  By 
the  way,  he  asked  were  you  well  enough  to  see  him  to- 
day?" 

"  I  would  rather  not  see  him  till  to-morrow/'  the  girl 
said. 

"And  I  think  too  that  you  had  better  not  see  him 
until  to-morrow,  Isobel.  Your  cheeks  are  flushed  now, 
and  your  hands  are  trembling,  and  I  do  not  want  yon 
laid  up  again,  so  I  order  you  to  keep  yourself  perfectly 
quiet  for  the  rest  of  the  day." 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  369 

But  it  was  not  till  two  days  later  that  Bathurst  came 
up  to  see  her. 

The  spies  brought  in,  late  that  evening,  the  news  that 
a  small  party  of  the  Sepoy  cavalry,  with  two  guns,  were 
at  a  village  three  miles  on  the  other  side  of  the  town, 
and  were  in  communication  with  the  disaffected.  It  was 
decided  at  once  by  the  officer  who  had  succeeded  General 
Neil  in  the  command  of  the  fort  that  a  small  party  of 
fifty  infantry,  accompanied  by  ten  or  twelve  mounted 
volunteers,  should  go  out  and  attack  them.  Bathurst 
sent  in  his  name  to  form  one  of  the  party  as  soon  as  he 
learned  the  news,  borrowing  the  horse  of  an  officer  who 
was  laid  up  ill. 

The  expedition  started  two  hours  before  daybreak,  and, 
making  a  long  detour,  fell  upon  the  Sepoys  at  seven 
o'clock.  The  latter,  who  had  received  news  half  an  hour 
before  of  their  approach,  made  a  stand,  relying  on  their 
cannon.  The  infantry,  however,  moved  forward  in 
skirmishing  order,  their  fire  quickly  silenced  the  guns, 
and  they  then  rushed  forward  while  the  little  troop  of 
volunteers  charged. 

The  fight  lasted  but  a  few  minutes,  at  the  end  of  which 
time  the  enemy  galloped  off  in  all  directions,  leaving 
their  guns  in  the  hands  of  the  victors.  Four  of  the  in- 
fantry had  been  killed  by  the  explosion  of  a  well-aimed 
shell,  and  five  of  the  volunteers  were  wounded  in  the 
hand-to-hand  fight  with  the  sowars.  The  Sepoys'  guns 
and  artillery  horses  had  been  captured. 

The  party  at  once  set  out  on  their  return.  On  their 
way  they  had  some  skirmishing  with  the  rabble  of  the 
town,  who  had  heard  the  firing,  but  they  were  beaten  off 
without  much  difficulty,  and  the  victors  re-entered  the 
fort  in  triumph.  The  Doctor  was  at  the  gate  as  they 
came  in.  Bathurst  sprang  from  his  horse  and  held  out 
his  hand.  His  radiant  face  told  its  own  story. 

"  Thank  God,  Doctor,  it  has  passed.  I  don't  think  my 
pulse  went  a  beat  faster  when  the  guns  opened  on  us, 
and  the  crackle  of  our  own  musketry  had  no  more  effect. 
I  think  it  has  gone  forever." 

"  I  am  glad  indeed,  Bathurst,"  the  Doctor  said,  warmly 
grasping  his  hand.  "  I  hoped  that  it  might  be  so." 


370  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

"  No  words  can  express  how  grateful  I  feel/'  Bathurst 
said.  "  The  cloud  that  shadowed  my  life  seems  lifted, 
and  henceforth  I  shall  be  able  to  look  a  man  in  the 
face." 

"  You  are  wounded,  I  see/'  the  Doctor  said. 

"  Yes,  I  had  a  pistol  ball  through  my  left  arm.  I 
fancy  the  bone  is  broken,  but  that  is  of  no  consequence." 

"A  broken  arm  is  no  trifle,"  the  Doctor  said, 
"  especially  in  a  climate  like  this.  Come  into  the  hospital 
at  once  and  let  me  see  to  it." 

One  of  the  bones  of  the  forearm  was  indeed  broken, 
and  the  Doctor,  having  applied  splints  and  bandages, 
peremptorily  ordered  him  to  lie  down.  Bathurst  protested 
that  he  was  perfectly  able  to  get  up  with  his  arm  in  a 
sling. 

"  I  know  you  are  able,"  the  Doctor  said  testily;  "  but 
if  you  were  to  go  about  in  this  oven,  we  should  very 
likely  have  you  in  a  high  fever  by  to-morrow  morning. 
Keep  yourself  perfectly  quiet  for  to-day;  by  to-morrow, 
if  you  have  no  signs  of  fever,  and  the  wound  is  doing 
well,  we  will  see  about  it." 

Upon  leaving  him  Dr.  Wade  went  out  and  heard  the 
details  of  the  fight. 

"  Your  friend  Bathurst  particularly  distinguished  him- 
self," the  officer  who  commanded  the  volunteers  said. 
"  He  cut  down  the  ressaldar  who  commanded  the  Sepoys, 
and  was  in  the  thick  of  it.  I  saw  him  run  one  sowar 
through  and  shoot  another.  I  am  not  surprised  at  his 
fighting  so  well  after  what  you  have  gone  through  in 
Deennugghur  and  in  that  Cawnpore  business." 

The  Doctor  then  went  up  to  see  Isobel.  She  looked 
flushed  and  excited. 

"Is  it  true,  Doctor,  that  Mr.  Bathurst  went  out  with 
the  volunteers,  and  that  he  is  wounded  ?  " 

"  Both  items  are  true,  my  dear.  Fortunately  the 
wound  is  not  serious.  A  ball  has  broken  the  small  bone 
of  the  left  forearm,  but  I  don't  think  it  will  lay  him  up 
for  long;  in  fact,  he  objects  strongly  to  go  to  bed." 

"But  how  did  he — how  is  it  he  went  out  to  fight. 
Doctor?  I  could  hardly  believe  it  when  I  was  told, 
though  of  course  I  did  not  say  so." 


RUJUB,   TEE  JUGGLER.  371 

"My  dear,  it  was  an  experiment.  He  told  me  that  he 
did  not  feel  at  all  nervous  when  the  Sepoys  rushed  in  at 
the  gate  firing  when  he  was  walking  off  with  you,  and  it 
struck  me  that  possibly  the  sudden  shock  and  the  jump 
into  the  water  when  they  attacked  the  boats,  and  that 
rap  on  the  head  with  a  musket  ball,  might  have  affected 
his  nervous  system,  and  that  he  was  altogether  cured,  so 
he  was  determined  on  the  first  occasion  to  try." 

"  And  did  it,  Doctor?  "  Isobel  asked  eagerly.  "  I  don't 
care,  you  know,  one  bit  whether  he  is  nervous  when  there 
is  a  noise  or  not,  but  for  his  sake  I  should  be  glad  to 
know  that  he  has  got  over  it;  it  has  made  him  so  un- 
happy." 

"  He  has  got  over  it,  my  dear;  he  went  through  the 
fight  without  feeling  the  least  nervous,  and  distinguished 
himself  very  much  in  the  charge,  as  the  officer  who  com- 
manded his  troop  has  just  told  me." 

"  Oh,  I  am  glad — I  am  thankful,  Doctor;  no  words  can 
say  how  pleased  I  am;  I  know  that  it  would  have  made 
his  whole  life  unhappy,  and  I  should  have  always  had  the 
thought  that  he  remembered  those  hateful  words  of 
mine." 

"  I  am  as  glad  as  you  are,  Isobel,  though  I  fancy  it  will 
change  our  plans." 

"  How  change  our  plans,  Doctor?  I  did  not  know  that 
I  had  any  plans." 

"I  think  you  had,  child,  though  you  might  not  ac- 
knowledge them  even  to  yourself.  My  plan  was  that  you 
should  somehow  convince  him  that,  in  spite  of  what  you 
said,  and  in  spite  of  his  leaving  you  in  that  boat,  you  were 
quite  content  to  tal;e  him  for  better  or  for  worse." 

"  How  could  I  tell  him  that?  "  the  girl  said,  coloring. 

"  Well,  I  think  you  would  have  had  to  do  so  somehow, 
my  dear,  but  that  is  not  the  question  now.  My  plan 
was  that  when  you  had  succeeded  in  doing  this  you 
should  marry  him  and  go  home  with  him." 

"But  why,  Doctor,"  she  asked,  coloring  even  more 
hotly  than  before,  "is  the  plan  changed?" 

"Because,  my  dear,  I  don't  think  Bathurst  will  go 
home  with  you." 

"Why  not,  Doctor?"  she  asked,  in  surprise. 


372  RUJUBt  THE  JUGGLER. 

"  Because,  my  dear,  he  will  want,  in  the  first  place,  to 
rehabilitate  himself." 

"  But  no  one  knows,  Doctor,  about  the  siege  and  what 
happened  there,  except  you  and  me  and  Mr.  Wilson;  all 
the  rest  have  gone/' 

"  That  is  true,  my  dear,  but  he  will  want  to  rehabili- 
tate himself  in  his  own  eyes;  and  besides,  that  former 
affair  which  first  set  you  against  him,  might  crop  up  at 
any  time.  Other  civilians,  many  of  them,  have  volun- 
teered in  the  service,  and'  no  man  of  courage  would  like 
to  go  away  as  long  as  things  are  in  their  present  state. 
You  will  see  Bathurst  will  stay." 

Isobel  was  silent. 

"  I  think  he  will  be  right,"  she  said  at  last  gravely; 
"  if  he  wishes  to  do  so,  I  should  not  try  to  dissuade  him; 
it  would  be  very  hard  to  know  that  he  is  in  danger,  but 
no  harder  for  me  than  for  others." 

"  That  is  right,  my  dear,"  the  Doctor  said  affec- 
tionately; "  I  should  not  wish  my  little  girl — and  now  the 
Major  has  gone  I  feel  that  you  are  my  little  girl — to 
think  otherwise.  I  think,"  he  went  on,  smiling,  "  that 
the  first  part  of  that  plan  we  spoke  of  will  not  be  as 
difficult  as  I  fancied  it  would  be;  the  sting  has  gone,  and 
he  will  get  rid  of  his  morbid  fancies." 

"When  shall  I  be  able  to  see  him?" 

"  Well,  if  I  had  any  authority  over  him  you  would  not 
see  him  for  a  week;  as  I  have  not,  I  think  it  likely 
enough  that  you  will  see  him  to-morrow." 

"  I  would  rather  wait  if  it  would  do  him  any  harm, 
Doctor." 

"  I  don't  think  it  will  do  him  any  harm.  Beyond  the 
fact  that  he  will  have  to  carry  his  arm  in  a  sling  for  the 
next  fortnight,  I  don't  think  he  will  have  any  trouble 
with  it." 


CHAPTER  XXIIL 

THE  next  morning  Bathurst  found  Isobel  Hannay  sit- 
ting in  a  shady  court  that  had  been  converted  into  a  sort 
ojf  general  room  for  the  ladies  in  the  fort. 


RUJVB,  THE  JUGGLER.  373 

"How  are  you,  Miss  Hannay?  I  am  glad  to  see  you 
down." 

"  I  might  repeat  your  words,  Mr.  Bathurst,  for  you  see 
we  have  changed  places.  You  are  the  invalid,  and 
not  I." 

"  There  is  very  little  of  the  invalid  about  me,"  he  said. 
"  I  am  glad  to  see  that  your  face  is  much  better  than  it 
was." 

"  Yes,  it  is  healing  fast.  I  am  a  dreadful  figure  still; 
and  the  Doctor  says  that  there  will  be  red  scars  for 
months,  and  that  probably  my  face  will  be  always 
marked." 

"  The  Doctor  is  a  croaker,  Miss  Hannay;  there  is  no 
occasion  to  trust  him  too  implicitly.  I  predict  that  there 
will  not  be  any  serious  scars  left." 

He  took  a  seat  beside  her.  There  were  two  or  three 
others  in  the  court,  but  these  were  upon  the  other  side, 
quite  out  of  hearing. 

"  I  congratulate  you,  Mr.  Bathurst/'  she  said  quietly, 
"  en  yesterday.  The  Doctor  has,  of  course,  told  me  all 
about  :.t.  It  can  make  no  difference  to  us  who  knew  you, 
but  I  am  heartily  glad  for  your  sake.  I  can  understand 
how  great  a  difference  it  must  make  to  you." 

"It  has  made  all  the  difference  in  the  world,"  he  re- 
plied. "  No  one  can  tell  the  load  it  has  lifted  from  my 
mind.  I  only  wish  it  had  taken  place  earlier." 

"  I  know  what  you  mean,  Mr.  Bathurst;  the  Doctor 
has  told  me  about  that  too.  You  may  wish  that  you  had 
remained  in  the  boat,  but  it  was  well  for  me  that  you  did 
not.  You  would  have  lost  your  life  without  benefiting 
me.  I  should  be  now  in  the  well  of  Cawnpore,  or  worse, 
at  Bithoor." 

"  That  may  be,"  he  said  gravely,  "  but  it  does  not  alter 
the  fact." 

"I  have  no  reason  to  know  why  you  consider  you 
should  have  stopped  in  the  boat,  Mr.  Bathurst,"  she  went 
on  quietly,  but  with  a  slight  flush  on  her  cheek.  "  I  can 
perhaps  guess  by  what  you  afterwards  did  for  me,  by  the 
risks  you  ran  to  save  me;  but  I  cannot  go  by  guesses,  I 
think  I  have  a  right  to  know." 

"  You  are  making  me  say  what  I  did  not  mean  to  say," 


374  RUJUB.  THE  JUGGLER. 

he  exclaimed  passionately,  "  at  least  not  now;  but  you  do 
more  than  guess,  you  know — you  know  that  I  love  you/' 

"And  what  do  you  know?"  she  asked  softly. 

"  I  know  that  you  ought  not  to  love  me,"  he  said.  "  No 
woman  should  love  a  coward." 

"I  quite  agree  with  you,  but  then  I  know  that  you 
are  not  a  coward." 

"  Not  when  I  jumped  over  and  left  you  alone?  It  was 
the  act  of  a  cur." 

"  It  was  an  act  for  which  you  were  not  really  responsi- 
ble. Had  you  been  able  to  think,  you  would  not  have 
done  so.  I  do  not  take  the  view  the  Doctor  does,  and  I 
agree  with  you  that  a  man  loving  a  woman  should  first 
of  all  think  of  her  and  of  her  safety.  So  you  thought 
when  you  could  think,  but  you  were  no  more  responsible 
for  your  action  than  a  madman  for  a  murder  committed 
when  in  a  state  of  frenzy.  It  was  an  impulse  you  could 
not  control.  Had  you,  after  the  impulse  had  passed, 
come  down  here,  believing,  as  you  might  well  have  be- 
lieved, that  it  was  absolutely  impossible  to  rescue  me  from 
my  fate,  it  would  have  been  different.  But  the  moment 
you  came  to  yourself  you  deliberately  took  every  risk 
and  showed  how  brave  you  were  when  master  of  yourself- 
I  am  speaking  plainly,  perhaps  more  plainly  than  I 
ought  to.  But  I  should  despise  myself  had  I  not  the 
courage  to  speak  out  now  when  so  much  is  at  stake,  and 
after  all  you  have  done  for  me.  You  love  me?  " 

"  You  know  that  I  love  you." 

"And  I  love  you,"  the  girl  said;  "more  than  that,  I 
honor  and  esteem  you.  I  am  proud  of  your  love.  I  am 
jealous  for  your  honor  as  for  my  own,  and  I  hold  that 
honor  to  be  spotless.  Even  now,  even  with  my  happiness 
at  stake,  I  could  not  speak  so  plainly  had  I  not  spoken 
so  cruelly  and  wrongly  before.  I  did  not  know  you  then 
as  I  know  you  now,  but  having  said  what  I  thought  then, 
I  am  bound  to  say  what  I  think  now,  if  only  as  a 
penance.  Did  I  hesitate  to  do  so,  I  should  be  less  grate- 
ful than  that  poor  Indian  girl  who  was  ready,  as  she  said, 
to  give  her  life  for  the  life  you  had  saved." 

"  Had  you  spoken  so  bravely  but  two  days  since," 
Bathurst  said,  taking  her  hand,  "I  would  have  said,  'I 


RUJVBe  THE  JUGGLER.  875 

love  you  too  well,  Isobel,  to  link  your  fate  to  that  of  a 
disgraced  man,'  but  now  I  have  it  in  my  power  to  retrieve 
myself,  to  wipe  out  the  unhappy  memory  of  my  first 
failure,  and  still  more,  to  restore  the  self-respect  which 
I  have  lost  during  the  last  month.  But  to  do  so  I  must 
stay  here;  I  must  bear  part  in  the  terrible  struggle  thert 
will  be  before  this  mutiny  is  put  down,  India  conquered, 
and  Cawnpore  revenged." 

"  I  will  not  try  to  prevent  you,"  Isobei  said.  "  I  feel 
it  would  be  wrong  to  do  so.  I  could  not  honor  you  as  I 
do,  if  for  my  sake  you  turned  away  now.  Even  though  I 
knew  I  should  never  see  you  again,  I  would  that  you  had 
died  so,  than  lived  with  even  the  shadow  of  dishonor  on 
your  name.  I  shall  suffer,  but  there  are  hundreds  of 
other  women  whose  husbands,  lovers,  or  sons  are  in  the 
fray,  and  I  shall  not  flinch  more  than  they  do  from  giv- 
ing my  dearest  to  the  work  of  avenging  our  murdered 
friends  and  winning  back  India." 

So  quietly  had  they  been  talking  that  no  thought  of 
how  momentous  their  conversation  had  been  had  entered 
the  minds  of  the  ladies  sitting  working  but  a  few  paces 
away.  One,  indeed,  had  remarked  to  another,  "  I  thought 
when  Dr.  Wade  was  telling  us  how  Mr.  Bathurst  had 
rescued  that  unfortunate  girl  with  the  disfigured  face  at 
Cawnpore,  that  there  was  a  romance  in  the  case,  but  I 
don't  see  any  signs  of  it.  They  are  goods  friends,  of 
course,  but  there  is  nothing  lover-like  in  their  way  of 
talking." 

So  thought  Dr.  Wade  when  he  came  in  and  saw  them 
sitting  there,  and  gave  vent  to  his  feeling  in  a  grunt  of 
dissatisfaction. 

"  It  is  like  driving  two  pigs  to  market,"  he  muttered; 
"  they  won't  go  the  way  I  want  them  to,  out  of  pure  con- 
trariness." 

"  It  is  all  settled,  Doctor,"  Bathurst  said,  rising. 
"  Come,  shake  hands;  it  is  to  you  I  owe  my  happiness 
chiefly." 

"  Isobel,  my  dear,  give  me  a  kiss,"  the  Doctor  ex- 
claimed. "  I  am  glad,  my  dear,  I  am  glad  with  all  my 
heart.  And  what  have  you  settled  besides  that?" 

"  We  have  settled  that  I  am  to  go  home  as  soon  as  I 


876  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

can  go  down  country,  and  he  is  going  up  with'  you  and 
the  others  to  Cawnpore." 

"That  is  right/'  the  Doctor  said  heartily.  "I  told 
you  that  was  what  he  would  decide  upon;  it  is  right  that 
he  should  do  so.  No  man  ought  to  turn  his  face  to  the 
coast  till  Lucknow  is  relieved  and  Delhi  is  captured.  I 
thank  God  it  has  all  come  right  at  last.  I  began  to  be 
afraid  that  Bathurst's  wrong-headedness  was  going  to 
mar  both  your  lives." 

The  news  had  already  come  down  that  Havelock  had 
found  that  it  would  be  absolutely  impossible  with  the 
small  force  at  his  command  to  fight  his  way  into  Luck- 
now  through  the  multitude  of  foes  that  surrounded  it, 
and  that  he  must  wait  until  re-enforcements  arrived. 
There  was,  therefore,  no  urgent  hurry,  and  it  was  not 
until  ten  days  later  that  a  second  troop  of  volunteer 
horse,  composed  of  civilians  unable  to  resume  their 
duties,  and  officers  whose  regiments  had  mutinied,  started 
for  Cawnpore. 

Half  an  hour  before  they  mounted,  Isobel  Hannay  and 
Ralph  Bathurst  were  married  by  the  chaplain  in  the  fort. 
This  was  at  Bathurst's  earnest  wish. 

"  I  may  not  return,  Isobel/'  he  had  urged;  "  it  is  of 
no  use  to  blink  the  fact  that  we  have  desperate  fighting 
before  us,  and  I  should  go  into  battle  with  my  mind  much 
more  easy  in  the  knowledge  that,  come  what  might,  you 
were  provided  for.  The  Doctor  tells  me  that  he  con- 
siders you  his  adopted  daughter,  and  that  he  has  already 
drawn  up  a  will  leaving  his  savings  to  you;  but  I  should 
like  your  future  to  come  from  me,  dear,  even  if  I  am  not 
to  share  it  with  you.  As  you  know,  I  have  a  fine  estate  at 
home,  and  I  should  like  to  think  of  you  as  its  mistress." 

And  Isobel  of  course  had  given  way,  though  not  with- 
out protest. 

"  You  don't  know  what  I  may  be  like  yet,"  she  said, 
half  laughing,  half  in  earnest.  "  I  may  carry  these  red 
blotches  to  my  grave." 

"  They  are  honorable  scars,  dear,  as  honorable  as  any 
gained  in  battle.  I  hope,  for  your  sake,  that  they  will 
get  better  in  time,  but  it  makes  no  difference  to  me.  I 
know  what  you  were,  and  how  you  sacrificed  your  beauty. 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER.  377 

I  suppose  if  I  came  back  short  of  an  arm  or  leg  you  would 
not  make  that  an  excuse  for  throwing  me  over?  " 

"  You  ought  to  be  ashamed  of  yourself  for  even  think- 
ing of  such  a  thing,  Ralph." 

"  Well,  dear,  I  don't  know  that  I  did  think  it,  but  I 
am  only  putting  a  parallel  case  to  your  own.  No,  you 
must  consent;  it  is  in  all  ways  best.  We  will  be  married 
on  the  morning  I  start,  so  as  just  to  give  time  for 
our  wedding  breakfast  before  I  mount." 

"  It  shall  be  as  you  wish,"  she  said  softly.  "  You  know 
the  estate  without  you  would  be  nothing  to  me,  but  I 
should  like  to  bear  your  name,  and  should  you  never 
come  back  to  me,  Ralph,  to  mourn  for  you  all  my  life  as 
my  husband.  But  I  believe  you  will  return  to  me.  I 
think  I  am  getting  superstitious,  and  believe  in  all  sorts 
of  things  since  so  many  strange  events  have  happened. 
Those  pictures  on  the  smoke  that  came  true,  Rujub  send- 
ing you  messages  at  Deennugghur,  and  Rabda  making 
me  hear  her  voice  and  giving  me  hope  in  prison.  I  do 
not  feel  so  miserable  at  the  thought  of  your  going  into 
danger  as  I  should  do,  if  I  had  not  a  sort  of  conviction 
that  we  shall  meet  again.  People  believe  in  presentiments 
of  evil,  why  should  they  not  believe  in  presentiments  of 
good?  At  any  rate,  it  is  a  comfort  to  me  that  I  do  feel 
so,  and  I  mean  to  go  on  believing  it." 

"Do  so,  Isobel.  Of  course  there  will  be  danger,  but 
the  danger  will  be  nothing  to  that  we  have  passed 
through  together.  The  Sepoys  will  no  doubt  fight  hard, 
but  already  they  must  have  begun  to  doubt;  their  confi- 
dence in  victory  must  be  shaken,  and  they  begin  to  fear 
retribution  for  their  crimes.  The  fighting  will,  I  think, 
be  less  severe  as  the  struggle  goes  on,  and  at  any  rate  the 
danger  to  us,  fighting  as  the  assailants,  is  as  nothing  to 
that  run  when  we  were  little  groups  surrounded  by  a 
country  in  arms. 

"  The  news  that  has  come  through  from  Lucknow  is 
that,  for  some  time  at  any  rate,  the  garrison  are  con- 
fident they  can  hold  out,  while  at  Delhi  we  know  that  our 
position  is  becoming  stronger  every  day;  the  re-enforce- 
ments are  beginning  to  arrive  from  England,  and  though 
the  work  may  be  slow  at  first,  our  army  will  grow,  while 


378  RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER. 

their  strength  will  diminish,  until  we  sweep  them  before 
us.  I  need  not  stop  until  the  end,  only  till  the  peril  is 
over,  till  Lucknow  is  relieved,  and  Delhi  captured. 

"  As  we  agreed,  I  have  already  sent  in  my  resignation 
in  the  service,  and  shall  fight  as  a  volunteer  only.  If  we 
have  to  fight  our  way  into  Lucknow,  cavalry  will  be  use- 
less, and  I  shall  apply  to  be  attached  to  one  of  the  in- 
fantry regiments;  having  served  before,  there  will  be  no 
difficulty  about  that.  I  think  there  are  sure  to  be  plenty 
of  vacancies.  Six  months  will  assuredly  see  the  backbone 
of  the  rebellion  altogether  broken.  No  doubt  it  will  take 
much  longer  crushing  it  out  altogether,  for  they  will 
break  up  into  scattered  bodies,  and  it  may  be  a  long  work 
before  these  are  all  hunted  down;  but  when  the  strength 
of  the  rebellion  is  broken,  I  can  leave  with  honor." 

There  were  but  few  preparations  to  be  made  for  the 
wedding.  Great  interest  was  felt  in  the  fort  in  the  event, 
for  Isobel's  rescue  from  Bithoor  and  Cawnpore,  when  all 
others  who  had  fallen  into  the  power  of  the  Nana  had 
perished,  had  been  the  one  bright  spot  in  the  gloom;  and 
there  would  have  been  a  general  feeling  of  disappoint- 
ment had  not  the  romance  had  the  usual  termination. 

Isobel's  presents  were  numerous  and  of  a  most  useful 
character,  for  they  took  the  form  of  articles  of  clothing, 
and  her  trousseau  was  a  varied  and  extensive  one. 

The  Doctor  said  to  her  the  evening  before  the  event, 
"  You  ought  to  have  a  certificate  from  the  authorities, 
Isobel,  saying  how  you  came  into  possession  of  'your 
wardrobe,  otherwise  when  you  get  back  to  England  you 
will  very  soon  come  to  be  looked  upon  as  a  most  sus- 
picious character." 

"  How  do  you  mean,  Doctor?  " 

"  Well,  my  dear,  if  the  washerwoman  to  whom  you 
send  your  assortment  at  the  end  of  the  voyage  is  an 
honest  woman,  she  will  probably  give  information  to 
the  police  that  you  must  be  a  receiver  of  stolen  property, 
as  your  garments  are  all  marked  with  different  names." 

"It  will  look  suspicious,  Doctor,  but  I  must  run  the 
risk  of  that  till  I  can  re-mark  them  again.  I  can  do  a 
good  deal  that  way  before  I  sail.  It  is  likely  we  shall  be 
another  fortnight  at  least  before  we  can  start  for  Cal- 


RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER.  379 

cutta.  I  don't  mean  to  take  the  old  names  out,  but  shall 
mark  my  initials  over  them  and  the  word  '  from/  Then 
they  will  always  serve  as  mementoes  of  the  kindness  of 
everyone  here." 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  wedding  a  native  pre- 
sented himself  at  the  gate  of  the  fort,  and  on  being 
allowed  to  enter  with  a  letter  for  Miss  Hannay  of  which 
he  was  the  bearer,  handed  her  a  parcel,  which  proved  to 
contain  a  very  handsome  and  valuable  set  of  jewelry, 
with  a  slip  of  paper  on  which  were  the  words,  "From 
Kabda." 

The  Doctor  was  in  high  spirits  at  the  breakfast  to 
which  everybody  sat  down  directly  after  the  wedding.  In 
the  first  place,  his  greatest  wish  was  gratified;  and,  in 
the  second,  he  was  about  to  start  to  take  part  in  the 
work  of  retribution. 

"  One  would  think  you  were  just  starting  on  a  pleas- 
ure part}',  Doctor,"  Isobel  said. 

"  It  is  worth  all  the  pleasure  parties  in  the  world,  my 
dear.  I  have  always  been  a  hunter,  and  this  time  it  is 
human  '  tigers  '  I  am  going  in  pursuit  of;  besides  which," 
he  said,  in  a  quieter  tone,  "  I  hope  I  am  going  to  cure  as 
well  as  kill.  I  shall  only  be  a  soldier  when  I  am  not 
wanted  as  a  doctor.  A  man  whp  really  loves  his  profes- 
sion, as  I  do,  is  always  glad  to  exercise  it,  and  I  fear  I 
shall  have  ample  opportunities  that  way;  besides,  dear, 
there  is  nothing  like  being  cheerful  upon  an  occasion  of 
this  kind.  The  longer  we  laugh,  the  less  time  there  is 
for  tears." 

And  so  the  party  did  not  break  up  until  it  was  nearly 
time  for  the  little  troop  to  start.  Then  there  was  a  brief 
passionate  parting,  and  the  volunteer  horse  rode  away 
to  Cawnpore.  Almost  the  first  person  they  met  as  they 
rode  into  the  British  lines  was  Wilson,  who  gave  a  shout 
of  joy  at  seeing  the  Doctor  and  Bathurst. 

"My  dear  Bathurst!"  he  exclaimed.  "Then  you  got 
safely  down.  Did  you  rescue  Miss  Hannay?  " 

"  I  had  that  good  fortune,  Wilson." 

"I  am  glad.  I  am  glad,"  the  young  fellow  said,  shak- 
ing his  hand  violently,  while  the  tears  stood  in  his  eyes. 
"  I  know  you  were  right  in  sending  me  away,  but  I  have 


380  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLEK. 

regretted  it  ever  since.  I  know  I  should  have  been  no 
good,  but  it  seemed  such  a  mean  thing  fo?  me  to  go  off 
by  myself.  Well,  Doctor,  and  so  you  got  off  too,"  he  went 
on,  turning  from  Bathurst  and  wringing  the  Doctor's 
hand;  "  I  never  even  hoped  that  you  escaped.  I  made 
sure  that  it  was  only  we  two.  I  have  had  an  awful  time 
of  it  since  we  heard  the  news,  on  the  way  up,  of  the  mas- 
sacre of  the  women.  I  had  great  faith  in  Bathurst,  and 
knew  that  if  anything  could  be  done  he  would  do  it,  but 
when  I  saw  the  place  they  had  been  shut  up  in,  it  did  not 
seem  really  possible  that  he  could  have  got  anyone  out 
of  such  a  hole.  And  where  did  you  leave  Miss 
Hannay?" 

"  We  have  not  left  her  at  all/'  the  Doctor  said  gravely; 
"there  is  no  longer  a  Miss  Hannay.  There,  man,  don't 
look  so  shocked.  She  changed  her  name  on  the  morning 
we  came  away." 

"What!"  Wilson  exclaimed.  "Is  she  Mrs.  Bathurst? 
I  am  glad,  Bathurst.  Shake  hands  again;  I  felt  sure 
that  if  you  did  rescue  her  that  was  what  would  come  of 
it.  I  was  almost  certain  by  her  way  when  I  talked  to 
her  about  you  one  day  that  she  liked  you.  I  was  awfully 
«poony  on  her  myself,  you  know,  but  I  knew  it  was  no 
use,  and  I  would  rather  by  a  lot  that  she  married  you 
than  anyone  else  I  know.  But  come  along  into  my  tent; 
you  know  your  troop  and  ours  are  going  to  be  joined. 
We  have  lost  pretty  near  half  our  fellows,  either  in  the 
fights  coming  up  or  by  sunstroke  or  fever  since  we  came 
here.  I  got  hold  of  some  fizz  in  the  bazaar  yesterday,  and 
I  am  sure  you  must  be  thirsty.  This  is  a  splendid  busi- 
ness; I  don't  know  that  I  ever  felt  so  glad  of  anything  in 
my  life,"  and  he  dragged  them  away  to  his  tent. 

Bathurst  found,  to  his  disappointment,  that  intense 
as  was  the  desire  to  push  forward  to  Lucknow,  the  gen- 
eral opinion  was  that  the  General  would  not  venture  to 
risk  his  little  force  in  an  operation  that,  with  the  means 
at  his  disposal,  seemed  well-nigh  impossible.  Cholera  had 
made  considerable  ravages,  and  he  had  but  fifteen  hun- 
dred bayonets  at  his  disposal.  All  that  could  be  done 
pending  the  arrival  of  re-enforcements  was  to  prepare  the 
way  for  an  advance,  and  show  so  bold  a  front  that  the 


RUJUB.  TEE  JUGGLER.  381 

enemy  would  be  forced  to  draw  a  large  force  from  Luck- 
now  to  oppose  his  advance. 

A  bridge  of  boats  was  thrown  across  the  Ganges,  and 
the  force  crossed  the  river  and  advanced  to  Onao,  eight 
miles  on  the  road  to  Lucknow.  Here  the  enemy,  strongly 
posted,  barred  the  way;  but  they  were  attacked,  and,  after 
hard  fighting,  defeated,  with  a  loss  of  three  hundred  men, 
and  fifteen  guns. 

In  this  fight  the  volunteer  horse,  who  had  been  formed 
into  a  single  troop,  did  good  service.  One  of  their  two 
officers  was  killed;  and  as  the  party  last  up  from  Alla- 
habad were  all  full  of  Bathurst's  rescue  of  Miss  Hannay 
from  Cawnpore,,  and  Wilson  and  the  Doctor  influenced 
the  others,  he  was  chosen  to  fill  the  vacancy. 

There  were  two  other  fierce  fights  out  at  Busserut- 
gunge,  and  then  Bathurst  had  the  satisfaction  of  ad- 
vancing with  the  column  against  Bithoor.  Here  again 
the  enemy  fought  sturdily,  but  were  defeated  with  great 
slaughter,  and  the  Nana's  palace  was  destroyed. 

When,  after  the  arrival  of  Outram  with  re-enforce- 
ments, the  column  set  out  for  Lucknow,  the  volunteers 
did  not  accompany  them,  as  they  would  have  been  useless 
in  street  fighting,  and  were,  therefore,  detailed  to  form 
part  of  the  little  force  left  at  Cawnpore  to  hold  the  city 
and  check  the  rebels,  parties  of  whom  were  swarming 
round  it. 

The  officer  in  command  of  the  troop  died  of  cholera  a 
few  days  after  Haveloek's  column  started  up,  and  Bath- 
urst succeeded  him.  The  work  was  very  arduous,  the  men 
being  almost  constantly  in  their  saddles,  and  having  fre- 
quent encounters  with  the  enemy.  They  were  again 
much  disappointed  at  being  left  behind  when  Sir  Colin 
Campbell  advanced  to  the  relief  of  Havelock  and  the 
garrison,  but  did  more  than  their  share  of  fighting  in. 
the  desperate  struggle  when  the  mutineers  of  the 
Gwallior  contingent  attacked  the  force  at  Cawnpore 
during  the  absence  of  the  relieving  column.  Here  they 
were  almost  annihilated  in  a  desperate  charge  which 
saved  the  64th  from  being  cut  to  pieces  at  the  most  criti- 
cal moment  of  the  fight. 

Wilson  came  out  of  the  struggle  with  the  loss  of  his 


382  RUJUB,  TBE  JUGGLER. 

left  arm,  and  two  or  three  serious  wounds.  He  had  been 
cut  off,  and  surrounded,  and  was  falling  from  his  horse 
when  Bathurst  cut  his  way  to  his  rescue,  and,  lifting  him 
into  his  saddle  before  him,  succeeded  after  desperate 
fighting  in  carrying  him  off,  himself  receiving  several 
wounds,  none  of  which,  however,  were  severe.  The 
action  had  been  noticed,  and  Bathurst's  name  was  sent  in 
for  the  Victoria  Cross.  As  the  troop  had  dwindled  to 
a  dozen  sabers,  he  applied  to  Sir  Colin  Campbell,  whose 
column  had  arrived  in  time  to  save  the  force  at  Cawn- 
pore  and  to  defeat  the  enemy,  to  be  attached  to  a  regi- 
ment as  a  volunteer.  The  General,  however,  at  once 
offered  him  a  post  as  an  extra  aide-de-camp  to  himself, 
as  his  perfect  knowledge  of  the  language  would  render 
him  of  great  use;  and  he  gladly  accepted  the  offer. 

With  the  column  returning  from  Lucknow  was  the 
Doctor. 

"  By  the  way,  Bathurst,"  he  said  on  the  evening  of  his 
return,  "I  met  an  old  acquaintance  in  Lucknow;  you 
would  never  guess  who  it  was — Forster." 

"  You  don't  say  so,  Doctor." 

"  Yes;  it  seems  he  was  hotly  pursued,  but  managed  to 
shake  the  sowars  off.  At  that  time  the  garrison  was  not 
so  closely  besieged  as  it  afterwards  was.  He  knew  the 
country  well,  and  made  his  way  across  it  until  within 
sight  of  Lucknow.  At  night  he  rode  right  through  the 
rebels,  swam  the  river,  and  gained  the  Kesi-dency.  Jlc; 
distinguished  himself  greatly  through  the  siege,  but  had 
been  desperately  wounded  the  day  before  we  marched  in. 
He  was  in  a  ward  that  was  handed  over  to  me  directly  I 
got  there,  and  I  at  once  saw  that  his  case  was  a  hopeless 
one.  The  poor  fellow  was  heartily  glad  to  see  me.  Of 
course  he  knew  nothing  of  what  had  taken  place  at  Deen- 
nugghur  after  he  had  left,  and  was  very  much  cut  up 
when  he  heard  the  fate  of  almost  all  the  garrison.  He 
listened  quietly  when  I  told  how  you  had  rescued  Isobel 
and  of  your  marriage.  He  was  silent,  and  then  said,  '  I 
am  glad  to  hear  it,  Doctor.  I  can't  say  how  pleased  I 
am  she  escaped.  Bathurst  has  fairly  won  her.  I  never 
dreamt  that  she  cared  for  him.  Well,  it  seems  he 
Wasn't  a  coward  after  all.  And  you  say  he  has  resigned 


RUJUB,   THE  JUGGLER.  383 

and  come  up  as  a  volunteer  instead  of  going  home  with 
her?  That  is  plucky,  anyhow.  Well,  I  am  pleased.  I 
should  not  have  been  so  if  I  hadn't  been  like  this,  Doctor, 
but  now  I  am  out  of  the  running  for  good,  it  makes  no 
odds  to  me  either  way.  If  ever  you  see  him  again,  you 
-tell  him  I  said  I  was  glad.  I  expect  he  will  make  her  a 
deucedly  better  husband  than  I  should  have  done.  I 
never  liked  Bathurst,  but  I  expect  it  was  because  he  was 
H  better  fellow  than  most  of  us — that  was  at  school,  you 
know — and  of  course  I  did  not  take  to  him  at  Deennug- 
ghur.  JSTo  one  could  have  taken  to  a  man  there  who 
could  not  stand  fire.  But  you  say  he  has  got  over  that, 
so  that  is  all  right.  Anyhow,  I  have  no  doubt  he  will 
make  her  happy.  Tell  her  I  am  glad,  Doctor.  I  thought 
at  one  time — but  that  is  no  odds  now.  I  am  glad  you  are 
out  of  it  too.' 

"  And  then  he  rambled  on  about  shooting  Sepoys,  and 
did  not  say  anything  more  coherently  until  late  that 
night.  I  was  sitting  by  him;  he  had  been  unconscious 
for  some  time,  and  he  opened  his  eyes  suddenly  and  said, 
'  Tell  them  both  I  am  glad,'  and  those  were  the  last 
words  he  spoke." 

"  He  was  a  brave  soldier,  a  fine  fellow  in  many  ways," 
Bathurst  said:  "  if  he  had  been  brought  up  differently  he 
would,  with  all  his  gifts,  have  been  a  grand  fellow,  but  I 
fancy  he  never  got  any  home  training.  Well,  T  am  glad  he 
didn't  die  as  we  supposed,  without  a  friend  beside  him, 
on  his  way  to  Lucknow,  and  that  he  fell  after  doing  his 
duty  to  the  women  and  children  there." 

Wilson  refused  to  go  home  after  the  loss  of  his  arm,  and 
as  soon  as  he  recovered  was  appointed  to  one  of  the  Sikh 
regiments,  and  took  part  in  the  final  conquest  of  Luck- 
now  two  months  after  the  fight  at  Cawnpore.  A  fort- 
night after  the  conclusion  of  that  terrible  struggle  Sir 
Colin  Campbell  announced  to  Bathurst  that  amongst 
the  dispatches  that  he  had  received  from  home  that 
morning  was  a  Gazette,  in  which  his  name  appeared  among 
those  to  whom  the  Victoria  Cross  had  been  granted. 

"I  congratulate  you  heartily,  Mr.  Bathurst,"  the  old 
officer  said;  "I  have  had  the  pleasure  of  speaking  in  the 
highest  terms  of  the  bravery  you  displayed  in  carrying 


384  RUJUB,  THE  JUGGLER. 

my  message  through  heavy  .fire  a  score  of  times  during 
the  late  operations." 

Great  as  the  honor  of  the  Victoria  Cross  always  is,  to 
Bathurst  it  was  much  more  than  to  other  men.  It  was 
his  rehabilitation.  He  need  never  fear  now  that  his 
courage  would  be  questioned,  and  the  report  that  he  had 
before  left  the  army  because  he  lacked  courage  would  be 
forever  silenced  now  that  he  could  write  V.  C.  after  his 
name.  The  pleasure  of  Dr.  Wade  and  Wilson  was 
scarcely  less  than  his  own.  The  latter's  regiment  had 
suffered  very  heavily  in  the  struggle  at  Lucl::-ow,  and  he 
came  out  of  it  a  captain,  having  escapci1  without  a 
wound. 

A  week  later  Bathurst  resigned  his  appointment. 
There  was  still  much  to  be  done,  and  months  of  march- 
ing and  fighting  before  the  rebellion  was  quite  stamped 
out;  but  there  had  now  arrived  a  force  ample  to  overcome 
all  opposition,  and  there  was  no  longer  a  necessity  for 
the  service  of  civilians.  As  he  had  already  left  the 
service  of  the  Company,  he  was  his  own  master,  and 
therefore  started  at  once  for  Calcutta. 

"  I  shall  not  be  long  before  I  follow  you,"  the  Doctor 
said,  as  they  spent  their  last  evening  together.  "  I  shall 
wait  and  see  this  out,  and  then  retire.  I  should  have 
liked  to  have  gone  home  with  you,  but  it  is  out  of  the 
question.  Our  hands  are  full,  and  likely  to  be  so  for 
some  time,  so  I  must  stop." 

Bathurst  stopped  for  a  day  at  Patna  to  see  Eujub  and 
his  daughter.  He  was  received  as  an  expected  guest,  and 
after  spending  a  few  hours  with  them  he  continued  his 
journey.  At  Calcutta  he  found  a  letter  awaiting  him 
from  Isobel,  saying  that  she  had  arrived  safely  in 
England,  and  should  stay  with  her  mother  until  his  ar- 
rival, and  there  he  found  her. 

"I  expected  you  to-day,"  she  said,  after  the  first 
rapturous  greeting  was  over.  "  Six  weeks  ago  I  woke  in 
the  middle  of  the  night,  and  heard  Rabda's  voice  dis- 
tinctly say:  'He  has  been  with  us  to-day;  he  is  safe 
and  well;  he  is  on  his  way  to  you/  As  I  knew  how  long 
you  would  take  going  down  from  Patna,  I  went  the  next 
clay  to  the  office  and  found  what  steamer  you  would 


RUJUBt  TEE  JUGGLER.  385 

catch,  and  when  she  would  arrive.  My  mother  and  sister 
both  regarded  me  as  a  little  out  of  my  mind  when  I  said 
you  would  be  back  this  week.  They  have  not  the  slightest 
belief  in  what  I  told  them  about  Rujub,  and  insist  that 
it  was  all  a  sort  of  hallucination  brought  on  by  my 
sufferings.  Perhaps  they  will  believe  now." 

"  Your  face  is  wonderfully  better/'  he  said  presently. 
"  The  marks  seem  dying  out,  and  you  look  almost  your 
old  self." 

"Yes,"  she  said;  "I  have  been  to  one  of  the  great 
doctors,  and  he  says  he  thinks  the  scars  will  quite  dis- 
appear in  time." 

Isobel  Bathur.  has  never  again  received  any  distinct 
message  from  Eabda,  but  from  time  to  time  she  has  the 
consciousness,  when  sitting  quietly  alone,  that  the  girl 
is  with  her  in  thought.  Every  year  letters  and  presents 
are  exchanged,  and  to  the  end  of  iheir  lives  she  and  her 
husband  will  feel  that  their  happiness  is  chiefly  due  to 
ker  and.  her  father — Kujub,  the  Juggler. 


THE 


Oliver    Optic    Series 


OWING     to    increasing    demand    for    works    of    this 
author     we    are    pleased  to  offer   an   edition  at    a 
popular  price  giving  complete  works  in  the  sets  listed. 
Books  are  attractively  bound  in  art  shades  of  English   vel- 
lum cloth,  three  designs  stamped  in  three  colors.     Printed 
from  large  type  on  an  extra  quality  of  clean  flexible  paper. 
Each  book  in  glazed  paper  wrapper,      izmo  cloth. 


LIST  PRICE,  FIFTY  CENTS 


1  All  Aboard;  or,  Life  on  the  Lake. 

2  Brave  Old  Salt;  or,  Life  on  the  Quarter  Deck. 

3  Boat  Club,  The;  or,  The  Bunkers  of  Rippleton. 

4  Fighting  Joe;  or,  The  Fortunes  of  a  Staff  Officer. 

5  Haste  and  Waste ;  or,  The  Young  Pilot  of  Lake  Champlain. 

6  Hope  and  Have;  or,  Fanny  Grant  Among  the  Indians. 

7  In  School  and  Out;  or.  The  Conquest  of  Richard  Grant. 

8  Little  by  Little;  or,  The  Cruise  of  the  Flyaway. 

9  Now  or  Never;  or,  The  Adventures  of  Bobby  Bright. 
10     Outward  Bound;  or,  Young  American  Afloat. 

Poor  and  Proud;  or,  The  Fortunes  of  Kate  Redburn. 
Rich  and  Humble;  or,  The  Mission  of  Bertha  Grant. 
Sailor  Boy,  The;  or,  Jack  Somers  in  the  Navy. 
Soldier  Boy,  The;  or,  Tom  Somers  in  the  Army. 
Three  Millions;  or,  The  Way  of  the  World. 
Try  Again;  or,  The  Trials  and  Triumphs  of  Harry  West. 
Watch  and  Wait;  or,  The  Young  Fugitives. 
Work  and  Win;  or,  Noddy  Newman  on  a  Cruise. 
The  Yankee  Middy;  or,  The  Adventures  of  a  Naval  Officer. 
The  Young  Lieutenant;  or,  Adventures  of  an  Army  Officer. 


Any   of    the    above    titles    will    be    sent    prepaid    upon 
receipt  of  35c,  or  three  copies  for  $1.00 


M.  A.  DONOHUE  &•  CO. 

407-429  Dearborn  St.  CHICAGO 


Bound  TO  Win  Series  for  Boys 

100  TITLES 

This  new  series  io  proving  the  most  popular  line  of  books  for  boys  pub- 
lished this  year.  Look  at  the  names  of  the  authors  of  all  the  books  and 
you  will  see  the  reason. 

Alger,  Cooper,  Ellis.  Henty.  Kingston,  Optic,  Reid. 

51  Life  of  Kit  Carson E.  S.  Ellis 

52  Lion  of  St.  Mark G.A.  Henty 

53  Little  by  Little O.  Optic 

54  Lone  Ranch Capt.  M.  Reid 

55  Lion  of  the  North.  .G.  A.  Henty 

56  Luke  Walton H.  Alger,  Jr. 

57  Making  His  Way " 

58  Mysterious  Island. .  .Jules  Verne 

59  Now  or  Never O.  Optic 

60  One  of  the  28th G.  A  .Henty 

61  Only  an  Irish  Boy.  .H.  Alger,  Jr. 

62  Out  On  the  Pampas G.Henty 

63  Pathfinder.  .J.  Fenimore  Cooper 

64  Paul  the  Peddler..  .H.Alger,  Jr, 

65  Phil,  the  Fiddler " 

66  Pioneers,  The 

J.  Fenimore  Cooper 

67  Poor  and  Proud O.  Optic 

68  Prairie,  The J.  F.  Cooper 

69  Ralph  Raymond's  Heir..  .Alger 

70  Rifle  Rangers Capt.  M.  Reid 

71  Risen  From  the  Ranks. .  .  .Alger 

72  Robinson  Crusoe D.  DeFoe 

73  Sam's  Chance H.  Alger,  Jr. 

74  Scalp  Hunters Capt.  M.  Reid 

75  Shifting  for  Himself Alger 

76  Slow  and  Sure 

77  Spy  The .  .  .  .  J.  Fenimore  Cooper 


1  Adrift  in  New  York Alger 

2  Adventures  Among  the  Indians. 

Kingston 

3  Adventures  in  Cuba ....  Oswald 

4  Adventures  of  Famous  Sailors. . 
6  Adventures  in  the  Tropics 

Gerstacker 

6  Adventures  in  Forest  and  on 

Shore Ilsley 

7  Afloat  in  the  Forest M.  Reid 

8  All  Aboard Oliver  Optic 

9  Andy  Gordon H.  Alger,  Jr. 

10  Andy  Grant's  Pluck ... 

11  Boat  Club O.  Optic 

12  Bonnie  Prince  Charlie ....  Henty 

13  Bound  to  Rise H.  Alger,  Jr. 

14  Boy  Hunters Capt.  M  .Reid 

15  Boy  Knight a  A.  Henty 

16  Brave  and  Bold .  . .  .  H.  Alger,  Jr. 

17  Bravest  of  the  Brave ....  .Henty 

18  By  England's  Aid.  .G.  A.  Henty 

19  By  Pike  and  Dyke. .         " 

20  By  Sheer  Pluck 

21  The  Cash  Boy H.  Alger,  Jr. 

22  Captain  Bayley's  Heir.  . .  .Henty 

23  Cast  Up  by  the  Sea Baker 

24  Chester  Rand H.  Alger,  Jr. 

25  Cornet  of  Horse G.  A.  Henty 

26  Daniel  Boone G.  C.  Hill 

27  Deerslayer.  .J.  Fenimore  Cooper 

28  Desert  Home Capt.  M.  Reid 

29  Do  and  Dare .  .  Horatio  Alger  Jr. 

30  Driven  From  Home. 

31  Erie  Train  Boy 

32  Facing  the  World. . . 

33  For  Name  and  Fame Henty 

34  Forest  and  Frontier,  or  Adven- 

tures Among  the  Indians 

35  Friends  Though  Divided .  Henty 

36  Green  Mountain  Boys  .Thompson 

37  Golden  Canon G.  A.  Henty 

38  Hector's  Inheritance. .  .H.  Alger 

39  Helping  Himself ' 

40  Herbert  Carter's  Legacy     " 

41  Hero  of  Pine  Ridge ....  Butler . . 

42  In  a  New  World H.  Alger  Jr. 

43  In  Freedom's  Cause. G.A.  Henty 

44  In  the  Reign  of  Terror. . .   " 

45  In  Times  of  Peril .  .  ..G.  A.  Henty 

46  Jack  Harkaway's  School  Days.  . 

Hemyng 

47  Jack's  Ward H.  Alger.  Jr 

48  Jed,  the  Poorhouse  Boy. ." 

49  Julius,  the  Street  Boy. . 

50  Last  of  the  Mohicans. . .  .Cooper 


78  Star  of  India E.  S.  Ellis 

79  Store  Boy,  The H.  Alger,  Jr. 

80  Strive  and  Succeed " 

81  Strong  and  Steady " 

82  Sturdy  and  Strong. .  G.  A.  Henty 

83  Through  the  Fray " 

84  Tom,  the  Boot-Black Alger 

85  Tom  Brown's  School  Days 

Hughes 

86  Tom  Brown  at  Oxford.  . .  " 

87  Tour  of  the  World  in  Eighty 

Days Verne 

88  Try  Again O.  Optic 

89  Try  and  Trust H.  Alger,  Jr. 

90  Treasure  Island Stevenson 

91  Twenty  Thousand  Leagues 

Under  the  Sea. . .  .Jules  Verne 

92  Uncle  Tom's  Cabin Stowe 

93  With  Clive  in  India Henty 

94  Wood  Rangers,  or  Trappers  of 

Sonora 

95  Young  Acrobat.  . .  .H.  Alger,  Jr. 

96  Young  Carthaginians. . .  .Henty 

97  Young  Colonists 

98  Young  Outlaw H.  Alger,  Jr. 

99  Young   Midshipman.  ...  .Henty 
100  Young  Salesman Alger 


For  sale  by  all  Book  and  Newsdealers,  or  will  be  sent  to  any  address  in  t*  J) 

U.  S.,  Canada  or  Mexico,  post  paid  upon  receipt  of  price,  75c  each, 

in  currency,  money  order  or  stamps. 

M.  A.  Donohue  &  Co. 


The  Henty  Series 


43  Titles 

G.  A.  Henty  was  the  most  pro- 
lific writer  of  boys'  stories  of  the 
nineteenth  century.  From  two 
to  five  books  a  year  came  from 
his_  facile  pen.  No  Christmas 
holidays  were  complete  without 
a  new  "Henty  Book."  This  new 
series  comprises  43  titles.  They 
are  printed  on  an  extra  quality 
of  paper,  from  new  plates  anq 
bound  in  the  best  quality  of  cloth, 
stamped  on  back  and  side  in  inki 
from  unique  and  attractive  dies. 


Among  the  Malays 24 

Bonnie  Prince  '    25 

Charlie *    °6 

3  Boy  Knight,  The i* 

4  Bravest  of  the  Brave 28 

5  By  England's  Aid 

6  By  Pike  and  Dyke 

7  By  Right  of  Conquest. .  29 

8  By  Sheer  Pluck 30 

9  Captain  Bayley's  Heir. ..  31 

10  Cat  of  Bubastes 

11  Col.   Thorndyke's  32 

Secret 33 

12  Cornet  of  Horse 34 

13  Dragon  and  Raven  .... 

14  Facing   Death 35 

15  Final  Reckoning,  A 36 

16  For  Name  and  Fame 37 

17  For  the  Temple... 38 

18  Friends,' Though  Divided  39 

19  Golden  Canon 40 

20  In  Freedom's  Cause. . . . 

21  In  the  Reign  of  Terror. .  41 

22  In  Times  of  Peril 

23  Jack  Archer;  A  42 

Tale  of  Crimea.  ..  43 


Lion  of  St.  Mark 

Lion  of  the  North 

Maori  and  Settler 

One  of  the  28th 

Orange  and  Green; 

a  Tale  of  Boyne 
and  Limerick. . . . 

Out  on  the  Pampas. . . . 

Rujub,  the  Juggler 

St.  George  for  Eng- 
land  

Sturdy  and  Strong 

Through  the  Fray 

True  to  the  Old 

Flag. 

Under  Drake's  Flag. . . . 

With  Clive  in  India 

With  Lee  in  Virginia. . . . 

With  Wolfe  in  Canada. . 

Young  Buglers,  The 

Young  Carthagin- 
ians  

Young  Colonists, 

The 

Young  Franc-Tireurs. . . . 

Young  Midshipman 


For  sale  by    all  Book  and  Newsdealers,  or  will  be  sent  to  any  address 

in  the  U.S.,  Canada  or  Mexico,  postpaid  upon  receipt  of  price. 

60c  each,  in  currency,  money  order   or  stamps. 

ft,  A.  DONOHVE  &  CO.   407-429  Dearborn  St..   CHICAGO 


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